


A Beach City Valentine's Story

by me_my_elf_and_i



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Multi, Multiple Pairings, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 10:44:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5925574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/me_my_elf_and_i/pseuds/me_my_elf_and_i
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six different stories intertwine and unfold on one particular Valentine's Day in Beach City. Takes place between Log Date 7 15 2 and the next announced episode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Sapphire spend the day apart, trying to find the perfect Valentine's Day gifts for each other.

The morning was just like any other. The waves were rocking to and fro at a gentle beat, as if singing a lullaby to the seaside town before it. Swaying waves lapped the sand of the beachfront, lazy yet rhythmic, like a lovers' slow-dance.

Such an analogy would seem utterly perfect for the morning of Valentine's Day.

The sun decided it was time to start the day, and rose from its ocean slumber. The blanket of water, now bathed in a soft orange light, stirred in awakening. The waves grew slightly bigger and louder, as if beckoning the star towards the little beach city before it, aptly named Beach City.

As the light made its approach, it became noticeable that Beach City was ready to welcome Valentine's Day with open arms. Heart-shaped balloons, prepared the night before, stood vigil over the still sleeping town just about anywhere they could be tied down. Flower boxes, its residents blooming and vigorous, dominated the streets. Several establishments were advertising special Valentine's Day deals: The Big Donut were offering heart-shaped donuts for a limited time only, while a poster taped to the window of Fish Stew Pizza proclaimed that couples would get a special discount on their range of pizzas.

At the east of Beach City, a large cliff-face made its presence known. This cliff-face continued to mystify the folks who lived in the boardwalk community for the gigantic statue-like sculpture of a humanoid figure, vaguely feminine, adorning it. While not in the best of shape - some of its six arms were missing, for instance - it still possessed a regal and powerful air to it; but many of the townsfolk, as well as the tourists, made a conscious effort to avoid the place.

That could not be said for all the residents of Beach City. As unbelievable as it sounds, a group of individuals were not only crazy enough to live there, but were of an alien race called Gems, appearing and identifying as human females with a gemstone located somewhere on their body. These specific individuals called themselves the Crystal Gems, and apparently were dedicated to protecting not only Beach City, but the entire world, from evil such as monster attacks. The statue - called the Crystal Temple, as rumor has it - was their base of operations.

This first part of a much bigger chain of events will focus on one of these individuals.

* * *

 

Well ... not really. For you see, this particular individual was actually two individuals.

Garnet awoke that particular morning just like she would any other day of the year. Or any of the thousands of years that she has lived. She listened to the kind embrace of wave against water. Today, she knew, was that time of year. So she did something that she normally would never do, nor even consider doing on an ordinary occasion.

She un-fused voluntarily.

A bright glow of light appeared where Garnet once stood. When the light disappeared, two smaller Gems appeared in her place - one had scarlet skin, tomboyish burgundy hair, and sporty clothes while the other possessed blue skin, long hair the colour of ice, and a floor-length dress. Respectively, their names were Ruby and Sapphire.

The two Gems shared a glance at the other. It was rare that they got to see each other in the flesh, for these days they spent almost all their time as Garnet. Not that they minded - they loved each other more than anything in the world, and their fusion allowed them to be together for as long as they wanted: and they wanted to be together forever. Ruby and Sapphire shared a quick hug - they had spent many Valentine's Days together and knew what was to be done.

"I'll see you soon!" Ruby told her lover, as she raced out of the room, "I'll try to make this year's gift even better than the last!" The door to the little room opened and Ruby ran out to greet the day. Sapphire waved goodbye with her soft gloved hand.

"You say that every year," she chuckled quietly to herself.

Ruby made a dash for the front door, going through the kitchen/living room area as she went. The day was just beginning, and there was plenty of time to find the perfect Valentine's Day gift for her Sapphire! Soon she was out the door and on her way!

* * *

 

Ruby, continuing her pursuit of the perfect present, had not slowed down since leaving the house. Sand kicked up in protest to her violent footsteps as she headed west towards Beach City, from the south end of the cliff. She smiled to herself as the boardwalk came into view ... how long had it been since she had seen Beach City with her own eyes? Only when the sandy steps changed to wooden footfalls did Ruby finally stop. She glanced around, left and right, in mild panic. Where could she find the perfect gift for Sapphire?

"Focus, Ruby," she told herself. Sapphire wouldn't panic in this sort of situation: she would keep calm and assess her surroundings. And so, Ruby did. She took in everything: the calm wind, smelling of the sea, greeting her; the cries of seagulls overhead, joyous at the arrival of the new day; the waves lapping in on the beach. Ruby forced herself to walk - well, it came out as more of an impatient march, but compromises _had_ to be made - along the boardwalk, observing the stores before her. Ruby smiled to herself: Sapphire would be so proud of her right now!

None of the standard stores caught Ruby's eye. The Big Donut? Pointless - Gems didn't need to eat. Ruby herself prided herself on dining on only the healthiest of meals when she felt like eating, but she couldn't recall Sapphire enjoying food. So that was off the list: and by extension, Fish Stew Pizza and Beach Citywalk Fries were off as well. Ruby couldn't help but cringe slightly: three stores off the list already! But still, she encouraged herself to press on.

There was a store right in front of her, apparently selling T-shirts and other items of human clothing. Intrigued, Ruby approached. Several posters stuck to the garage door entrance announced that there was to be a Valentine's Day special on certain shirts. Ruby didn't have much money on her, so she made a mental note to try and pick out a shirt that would apply to the discount.

The store didn't open until 9:00 am, but Ruby didn't appear alarmed. She could wait a few minutes, she thought. That was until she glanced at a nearby clock, conveniently placed on the wall next to the store.

It was 7:57 am.

She would have to wait 1 whole hour before the store opened.

Crud.

A fist almost found itself lodged into the garage door, but Ruby stopped herself just before it got there. Sapphire would not approve of her acting like this. And so, she forced herself to sit - well, she plonked herself quite aggressively onto the boardwalk, but it got the same result. She crossed her arms over her knees and prepared herself for the long wait.

* * *

 

A while later, Steven Universe had woken up with a rumbling and empty belly. To remedy this, he decided to get his breakfast ready. He has already set up his little bowl and the Cookie Cat cereal - which was tasty but could never replace the beloved ice cream sandwich, Steven mused - had been recovered from the top drawer without any troubles. Now all that was left was the milk from the fridge to complete this ultimate breakfast!

He had just gotten it when a voice suddenly spoke, "Try not to spill the milk."

Steven jumped and dropped the milk carton on the floor. "Oh dear," the voice commented, and to his amazement Steven could see it belonged to Sapphire, who was sitting at the kitchen bench before him.

"Good morning, Steven," she said, deadpan as ever.

"Oh ... Sapphire! Good morning!" Steven replied, confused - seeing her without seeing Ruby was a bit unsettling, "How come you're un-fused? And where's Ruby?"

"It's OK, Steven. We do this every year."

"Really? What's the occasion?"

"It's Valentine's Day, Steven," Sapphire seemed a little surprised that he appeared oblivious of the holiday, "Didn't you know?"

"Oh, is that today?" Steven told her, "All I know about it is everyone hangs hearts around everywhere and The Big Donut starts selling those delicious jam-filled heart donuts! But every time I go to buy them Sadie always seems a little distracted, sighing to herself and staring at Lars, and -"

"Well," Sapphire interjected, "Valentine's Day is a human tradition where people in love spend time together and give each other gifts. Ruby and I like to celebrate Valentine's Day every year."

"That seems so sweet," Steven blushed a little, but he caught himself, "But you and Ruby are together all the time when you're Garnet! How come you aren't fused now?"

"Ruby and I like to celebrate this holiday a little differently than humans do. We un-fuse as soon as we wake up, and spend the entire day away from each other. At sunset, we meet back here at the Temple, give each other gifts, and re-fuse again. Usually both of us leave before you wake up, so you wouldn't learn of Garnet's true nature until the right time. Ruby left a few hours ago - she's always eager about this time of year - but I decided to wait a little until the shops opened up."

Steven nodded in understanding. Another person might find it strange that the two lovers spent the whole day apart from each other when they were supposed to be together, but since Ruby and Sapphire were together all the time, it seemed fair that they had some space every now and then. "So Ruby is...?"

"Finding a present of me?" Sapphire said, and made her way towards the front entrance, "Yes, and I am going to do the same."

"Do you need any help? Because I was just about to go out anyway-" he glanced at the milk carton on the floor. Luckily he hadn't actually poured the cereal into the bowl yet; he could still save this ultimate breakfast!

Sapphire giggled lightly. "It's OK, Steven. I can see that you will have a busy day ahead of you."

Steven pondered: he remembered that Sapphire could see into the future. "At least let me give you some money so you can give Ruby the best present ever!" He proceeded to head for his bed, where he kept his money.

"That's very kind of you, Steven," Sapphire told him, as he fished for spare change, "Thank you." She actually did have some money on her; probably from a long time ago, where some grateful soul had paid the Gems for their service to Beach City. Either that or Amethyst was into pickpocketing again, and shared her spoils. Regardless, it didn't really matter.

Steven came back down and handed Sapphire some crisp notes, fresh from his bedsheets. "Let me know if Ruby likes your gifts!" he told her.

"I will," Sapphire replied, and she gracefully made her exit.

Steven waved goodbye, but thought back to what she had told him. A busy day ahead of you, she had predicted. Well, he couldn't have one just by standing here all day! And so, Steven decided to go out and get some milk.

After cleaning up his mess, getting dressed in his standard attire and grabbing some money for the milk he made his way out. "I'll be back soon," he pointed accusingly to the items still on the counter, "So don't move from that spot!" Steven chuckled to himself: he knew that they couldn't, but stranger things have happened...

* * *

 

Sapphire was still walking along the beach, taking her time: she had all day, so there was no need to rush. She had chosen to go north unlike the south-bound Ruby: that way, it was unlikely Sapphire would prematurely catch her before sunset. So here Sapphire was, going for a leisurely stroll along the beach, casually investigating seashells as she passed.

While she didn't know what her gift to Ruby would be, Sapphire had the utmost confidence she would find one satisfactory. The future was already laid out for her, and she knew that Ruby would like her gift. Reminding herself of the vision, Sapphire decided to run through it again:

_Ruby, with her head bowed, was stunned silent as she held the (Sapphire couldn't make out what it was, but she didn't force herself to concentrate harder - viewing Ruby's gift beforehand would be cheating). Sapphire was surprised: usually words came naturally to her energetic lover, but now she could see Ruby was grappling with what to say. She couldn't make out Ruby's expression until she lifted her head to reveal tears had found their way on her face._

_"Sapphire," she sobbed, "Thank you. This is the best gift ever!"_

Sapphire forced herself to stop there, preventing herself from spoiling any more. Whatever she had gotten Ruby, it was tremendously important. She was curious, but not worried in the slightest. The future has already been written, she thought, so I will find Ruby's gift before sunset!

A nearby seagull cried out to its brethren, interrupting Sapphire's train of thought. She turned and watched the gull and its friends take to the air, catching the wind and heading west towards Beach City. They seemed to be heading towards the Funland amusement park, towering in the distance.

Perhaps there I will find Ruby's present, she thought. And as if guided by some supernatural force, Sapphire continued her stroll along the beach, her destination in mind.

* * *

 

Currently, Ruby's destination would have been the realm of sleep had the shopkeeper not finally turned up. It was 9:00 am on the dot, and several tourists, and a handful of Beach City locals, had gathered around the entrance. The shopkeeper was an balding and rather fat old man, perhaps in his early fifties, wearing sunglasses, a yellow polo shirt, khaki shorts and sandals. He opened the garage for the expectant crowd, and soon stationed himself behind the counter, ready for service.

Before Ruby could get up, the crowd had already entered the store. Unfortunately for her, this was a crowd of thirty or so people, and the little store could only hold so much. So poor Ruby had to wait a bit longer for the crowd to thin.

For Sapphire, she thought as she returned to her sitting position. Ruby then started to drift back to sleep - dang, Amethyst must be rubbing off on me! - thinking of the smile that would grace Sapphire's face when she received her gift.

* * *

 

Sapphire currently had a gentle smile plastered on her face, but for a different reason. There was a string of various shops along the way to the amusement park, and Sapphire allowed herself to be swept away in fate's embrace, which was telling her to browse these shops for Ruby's gift. Leaving the beach and passing the car wash on the way - Sapphire had seen Steven's father Greg, washing cars as usual, and had shared a wave with him as she passed - the Gem started to window shop.

Currently she was admiring a beautiful blood red vase, standing short but proud, just like her Ruby. Happy with her find, Sapphire paid for it and continued to the next shop. Taking the vase out of the little eco-friendly bag she had gotten from the store, her thoughts drifted to Ruby, and what she was currently doing right now.

* * *

 

"Ruby?"

"Huh?" Ruby felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder, and she stirred awake. Steven was standing before her, and was currently helping her to her feet.

"I saw you here all huddled up. Are you OK?" He had a look of concern on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Ruby pushed him away gently, assuring him she was OK on her own. What she was not OK about was the time shown by the wall's clock - it was 10:42 pm.

"Oh no!" she cried, mentally cursing herself. If she was going to goof off all day, Sapphire would never get her present! Ruby let out a groan of exasperation, her face screwed in a grimace.

She turned to the store. It was busy, but less so compared to the morning. Ruby scurried in hastily, using her small stature to navigate the crowded interior. Pushing her way through a jungle of legs, Ruby tried to get a good look at some of the shirts on offer. There was your typical range of Valentine's Day shirts folded tidily in a large box. Generic pink loves with lots of love hearts of them, Ruby gagged; she wanted something special, that symbolized the special love that only she and Sapphire shared, not this crud!

She propped herself on the side of the shirt box, sitting on the edge, and cupped her face in her hands. It was hopeless: while she was sleeping, all the good shirts were gone!

"Need some help?"

Ruby removed her hands from her eyes to find Steven sitting beside her, with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Yeah," she told him sadly, staring down at the floor in defeat.

"You won't find much interesting in here," Steven pointed behind him into the box, "but the shirts on the wall are way cooler! A little more expensive though, but definitely the cream of the crop."

He gestured to the walls, and Ruby's eyes followed suit. He was right, the shirts hanging from the wall were much more promising. She scanned the walls around the store as best as she could.

And then she saw it.

About halfway up the wall and dead centre in Ruby's line of vision was a lovely black shirt, decorated with a stream of red and blue hearts, represented in low poly triangles. It was perfect, she thought. She knew Sapphire would like the flashy colours and the abstract style. And better yet, it was accepted under the Valentine's Day deal!

"Yes!" Ruby-fist pumped the air, "Steven, check that one out!"

He looked at where she was pointing. "That's awesome, Ruby! I bet Sapphire will love it!"

"You bet!" Ruby grinned as she rushed towards the segment of the wall where her gift was suspended from, "Thanks!"

Steven hopped on the box side and stood beside Ruby. "I'm glad I was able to help. Do you need me to call someone over?"

Ruby made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Nah nah, I can take care to it. You should go on your way, Steven - I'm sure you've got plans."

"Well, OK then. I'll see you later, Ruby!" Steven waved goodbye as he exited the store.

So Ruby, now renewed with a confident vigor, tried to call for some assistance. 'Tried' being the key word here: the store was noisier than a barn, and then some. So Ruby hovered around the wall, to in vain to grab the busy shopkeeper's attention. Maybe she had been too hasty to send Steven away, but he was long gone so she had no choice but to hope for the best. Her patience would be put to the test once again.

* * *

 

"Are you all right carrying all those bags?" a helpful man asked Sapphire.

Sapphire politely declined his kind offer, but she could understand why he had approached her. Currently she had about three bags of gifts in tow; luckily she had the standard superhuman strength of a Gem so this cargo was almost effortless to carry. Still, there was no way a stranger like him would know that at first glance.

Sapphire was currently in the middle of the Funland amusement park, and it was packed. Everywhere around her, couples flocked to the rollercoasters or the annual Tunnel of Love. She could see eager men and women lined up at funfair stalls, determined to win a prize for their sweethearts. Pairs of people were also relaxing on the benches, admiring the skies together or sharing a snack. She knew Ruby would like this place: she could see Ruby excitedly pulling her arm, asking Sapphire to go on the rollercoaster with her; or trying with all her might to win a prize that would make Sapphire's day.

Sapphire felt that a gift from this place would be perfect for Ruby, but she didn't pressure herself to purposely seek one. Technically, _all_ the gifts she was currently carrying would do as well: but she could not deny the aura of this place.

She wandered aimlessly along. Happy people, chasing each other or walking with arms linked passed her by. She could feel the positive vibes of the area dancing in union, like the auroras in the night sky. She could feel the gift was-

"Why hello there, little lady! Can I get you a corndog?"

Sapphire glanced up. She was so busy thinking that she had walked up to a corndog stand on accident. Still, the man looked like a nice guy, and the prospect seemed promising.

"One please," she said, handing him the appropriate change from her pocket.

The stall owner worked quickly and handed her a brown paper bag, containing a battered corndog on a stick.

"You enjoy that now!" he called as Sapphire walked off. She placed the paper bag in one of her bags and carried on. Ruby liked corndogs - she liked to boast about being a healthy eater, but of course Sapphire knew better - so Sapphire knew she would appreciate it.

* * *

 

It was nearly 5 o'clock and Ruby was losing it.

About an hour ago she had finally gotten the shopkeeper's attention, after countless hours of dodging the never-ending crowd that threatened to suffocate her. The old man had shuffled over and had retrieved her prized possession from atop the wall. He had handed it to Ruby and she had coddled it like a newborn baby. It looked a lot better up close: a bit too big for Sapphire's size, however Ruby felt she would look cute in an oversized shirt.

She was on her way to the counter to pay for it when a unfamiliar woman barged in. She was middle-aged, with big brownish red hair standing upright. Gaudy purple granny glasses hid her ugly sneering eyes. The big woman had stormed in past Ruby, making her way straight to the counter to make a complaint. Apparently the shirt she had bought was supposed to have big sparkly gemstones embedded in the design, yet the shirt she bought lacked these. The poor old man was trying to explain to her for the past hour that they were out of stock and wouldn't be coming in from a shipment for a few moments, but was currently having no success.

Ruby was panicked and angry. She glanced nervously outside, witnessing the once blue sky now fade to orange, seeing the sun make its way back to its bedside. She paced back and forth quickly, her actions contorting in an exaggerated fashion.  If this lady doesn't cram it and get outta here, she thought, I'll miss the sunset and the rendezvous with Sapphire!

She was ready to give the woman in front of her a piece of her mind! There was no other way to get her to leave!

Or was there?

"Sapphire?!" Ruby turned around, but Sapphire wasn't there. Being fused as Garnet for so long meant that Ruby and Sapphire had privy to each other's thoughts; perhaps Sapphire was reaching out to her from the beyond. But what did she mean?

Ruby glanced at a poster of the offending shirt in question. Suddenly, she had an idea! She took out a random shirt from a nearby box and worked her magic.

* * *

 

5 o'clock passed by and Sapphire watched the pinkish clouds make their way across the orange sky above her. She had left Funland behind, unsuccessful in finding another gift besides the corndog, and was our her way back to the Temple, going the way she came. She carried her bags in both hands: somewhere in them lay the perfect Valentine's Day present for her Ruby.

* * *

 

"Excuse me," a small red finger asked politely as it poked the back of the large overweight woman in front of her.

The woman spun around with remarkable speed. "What do you want?" she replied gruffly.

Ruby held up the modified shirt. It looked like the same one the woman was after, gemstones and all! "Is this what you're looking for?" she said, talking with uncharacteristic sweetness.

The woman's eyes lit up and she rudely snatched her prize from Ruby. "Ah, yes! I've been looking for you!" she cooed to the shirt, before setting it on the counter, rummaging her pockets for cash.

Ruby smiled to herself. Finally! Sapphire would be super proud of her for keeping her cool when it mattered the most!

The lady left with her shirt, so Ruby approached the counter. "I don't know how you did that, but thanks! I was in a real pickle there," the old man chuckled, "Tell you what; you've been incredibly patient, young lady, so you can have that shirt on the house!"

Ruby couldn't help but jump and holler with glee. A free shirt! "Sapphire will love this!" she shouted happily as she made her way out of the store.

"Is that your girlfriend?" the shopkeeper smiled, "Tell me if she likes the shirt!"

"Of course she will, it's awesome! Thank you so much!" Ruby gave her new friend a final wave goodbye before charging down the boardwalk, shirt in hand, on her way to the Temple.

* * *

 

The sun was just setting as Ruby and Sapphire approached the Temple. Once they spotted each other, they quickened their pace, calling out each other's names along the way.

They eventually met halfway and embraced each other like they hadn't seen the other for thousands of years. Ruby hoisted Sapphire high in the air and spun around happily, both Gems laughing the day away. They shared a quick peck on the cheek before proceeding to the gift giving ceremony.

"Here, Sapphy," Ruby called, tossing her the shirt, "This is for you!"

Sapphire caught the shirt successfully, and looked it over. She liked the stylish design: Ruby did have surprisingly good taste when she thought something through. Sapphire put it on; it was a bit big, but it would do.

"Do you like it?" Ruby kicked the sand shyly.

"Oh, Ruby, I love it," Sapphire replied, "Thank you."

Ruby didn't need to see that behind her bangs, Sapphire's eye glittered with utter joy. "Don't tell me all that is for me!" she said, glancing at the bags behind Sapphire, "Just choose one, Sapphy! Anything you pick will be good!"

Sapphire turned to the bags and made up her mind instantly. The fates always knew what Ruby's gift would be, she thought as she frisked the bag, finding the brown paper bag and giving it to Ruby. Ruby took out the corndog and stared at it.

Ruby, with her head bowed, was stunned silent as she held the corndog. Sapphire was surprised: usually words came naturally to her energetic lover, but now she could see Ruby was grappling with what to say. She couldn't make out Ruby's expression until she lifted her head to reveal tears had found their way on her face.

"Sapphire," she sobbed, "Thank you. This is the best gift ever!"

Sapphire chuckled, "It's just a corndog, Ruby."

"But I love corndogs!"

"Oh, really?" Sapphire teased, "Whatever happened to 'only-eats-healthy-foods' Ruby?"

"It's my off day!" Ruby retorted, munching on her gift.

"Just like _every_ day?"

"Oh shush, you!" Ruby said playfully.

"Make me!"

And so Ruby did. She held Sapphire in one arm, with the corndog held high in the other, and kissed her deeply and passionately. Sapphire responded in kind. They stayed like this for a few moments before breaking the kiss.

"Great," Sapphire smiled, wiping her mouth, "Now my breath will smell like corndog."

"That's OK, I like that smell."

" _Oh_ , you."

The two lovers hugged one final time and, as if by magic, they fused once more, as the sun finally settled in its water bed. The night was upon Beach City not long after that.

And anyone on the beach at that moment would have seen something out the ordinary indeed. Garnet, watching the stars, was wearing a black shirt with triangular red and blue hearts, and munching on a corndog.

"Nice choices, you two," Garnet finished the corndog and put the stick in her pocket to dispose of later. She picked up the rest of Sapphire's gifts and made her way back to the Temple. These would made some nice decorations, she thought.

Garnet glanced once more into the night sky, and saw a comet streaking across the stars. But while she knew that comets were blazing hot, it was nothing compared to the warmth she felt every day, thanks to the love of Ruby and Sapphire.


	2. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sour Cream surprises Buck with a romantic outing.

The sun's ascent into the sky was slow but steady. The orange hues that donned the landscape disappeared like a morning mist, allowing the world to finally show its true colours. The sun hung from the brilliant blue sky, encompassing the town with its radiant smile.

The reach of the celestial body encompassed the whole town, from the Crystal Temple at the east, to the house of Mayor Dewey at the west - the latter location is where the next chapter shall begin...

* * *

 

Inside the abode of the mayor, his teenage son Buck Dewey slept. The rays of light from the clumsily drawn window crawled across the floor, past Buck's comically sprawled figure before resting on his face. He grimaced, then shooed the light away playfully, as if to say, "Alright, I'm getting up, OK?"

He sat up on his messy bedside, stretching his arms above him before reaching for his signature sunglasses on the bedside table. Buck gathered a pile of clothes from off the floor and made his way to the bathroom.

10 minutes later Buck, fully dressed in his typical attire, sat alone at the kitchen countertop eating some cereal. His father was out for the day, apparently at some conference the next town over or something. Bill Dewey was reluctant to leave his son alone on Valentine's Day, but when Buck told him that he had plans for the day, the mayor of Beach City appeared much more satisfied. The cynical side of Buck would say that his father was only happy to go because his leaving was made all the more justifiable by his son's plans. But nowadays Buck was trying not to listen to that side of him, for he knew deep down his dad loved him and was only trying to do what he thought would be best for his son.

Besides, today was an important day! Because Buck was going to spend Valentine's Day properly for the first time, with his best friend/boyfriend Sour Cream.

Buck reflected on his relationship with Sour Cream. It had been a few months since they had started dating, and to be honest, Buck couldn't remember how that came to be. He had yet to tell his dad about his relationship status, but Sour Cream had told his mother and she was totally cool with it (Buck had been happy to hear that; sometimes it felt like Vidalia was the mother he never had). The only other person that they had told was the boys' best friend Jenny Pizza, and the third member of the Cool Kids couldn't be any happier for them.

Speaking of which, he had better make his way down to Fish Stew Pizza - Sour Cream had told Buck to meet him there, so they could make their way to the surprise. Buck, despite his normally relaxed demeanour, couldn't help but smile and blush a little - whatever the surprise, he was sure he would 'totally rave to it'.

* * *

 

Jenny sighed from behind the cash register of Fish Stew Pizza. There was honestly nothing she wouldn't give to be outside at the moment, relishing in the glory of Valentine's Day like everyone else. Who cares if she didn't have a date? She just wanted to be free to spend this fine day as she pleased, perhaps listen to the romantic songs on the radio, eating chocolates out of a box. But _no_ , Kofi had insisted that she had to manage the register today while he was out delivering pre-ordered pizzas a couple of towns over. Besides, young lady, he had said, you have had enough time off as it is! Jenny had tried to counter: who on earth buys pizzas in the _morning_? Kofi did not challenge this obvious fact, but was adamant that his daughter would do her job, like any responsible member of society would, and had left the argument at that. What made matters worse what that he had taken the delivery car - Jenny's favoured mode of transportation - with him as well, so even if she snuck out she wouldn't be able to go very far.

Jenny let out a 'ugh' and smacked her face against the register in frustration. It wasn't all that bad, though: Sour Cream had called her the night before, telling her about his Valentine's Day plans with Buck and asking for her help. Jenny was glad to be able to make her two best friends feel special on this day even when she couldn't, and had agreed to assist immediately. Buck was going to come into the restaurant at about quarter past 10 today, and all she had to do was keep him busy until half past 10, when Sour Cream would arrive to pick him up. Jenny had gotten lucky; she had found Steven Universe just outside not long ago and had explained the plan to him. Steven was only too happy to help out, and was currently sitting at a table, cheerful as ever, dangling his feet off the chair.

Buck arrived at 10:18 am; he was never the punctual type. Steven had eagerly waved to him, and Buck, after a quick greeting to Jenny (as well as Kiki and Nanefua, who were busy in the  back) sat down opposite him. The three decided to engage in light conversation until Sour Cream turned up.

" _Sooo_ , what do you think the surprise is?" Steven asked a little too enthusiastically, with the biggest grin on his face.

Jenny glanced at Steven, then at Buck. "Sour Cream did say that he stayed up all night working on it."

Buck blushed a bit more, and a hand slid to his neck. It was pretty cool that he had a boyfriend that cared enough to do something like that for him. "I'm not sure - maybe he wrote me a song or something? It'll be pretty sweet, and it would go well with this," he said as he reached into one of his pant pockets.

"Show me, show me, show me!" Steven was now standing on his chair, leaning expectantly across the small table. Unbeknownst to the two boys, Jenny had disappeared to the back to attend to something...

Buck had pulled out a small cassette player with headphones, and was currently explaining it to Steven. "You put a tape in here and you push this button to play it," he said, tapping the play button, "Sour Cream has a bunch of tapes lying around in the attic and he wants to use them for his DJ system, but right now he can't afford one of these babies. So," Buck smiled, looking fondly at the gift, "I thought he would dig that I got one for him."

He softly turned the player over and glossed his hand over the back: it had looked a bit shabby and plain, so Buck had painted it to make it look nicer. Steven stared at it, starry eyed. "Wow, that's so thoughtful of you. I wish I could come up with a cool gift idea like that," he lowered his head glumly.

Buck chuckled, "It doesn't matter what the gift is, it's the thought behind it that counts. I bet you'll find something, little man." He ruffled Steven's hair reassuringly, and Steven giggling with delight. Suddenly, the door opened.

Sour Cream stepped into the pizza restaurant, cool and calm as ever. It was 10:32 - like Buck he was normally a little late. Dressed in his usual clothes, he carried a picnic basket in one hand. "Yo," he greeted, his free hand raised in a stagnant wave.

"Sour Cream, you made it," Jenny replied, returning to her front post. She shared a conspirative wink with the recent arrival. Buck stood up and approached him.

"Happy Valentine's Day," they said in unison, then gave each other a quick hug. "So, shall we be on our way?" Sour Cream asked.

"Sure, but first," Buck handed the cassette player to him, "This is for you."

Sour Cream picked up the present with both hands, the picnic basket sliding to his elbow, and held it high. "Awesome!" he exclaimed, "Just what I needed! Thanks, man," he gave Buck a sincere grin.

"Y-You're welcome," Buck stuttered as Sour Cream draped his free arm around his shoulder.

"Now you two lovebirds go out and have some fun now, you hear!" Jenny told her best friends, "And play nice!"

Sour Cream and Buck returned Jenny and Steven's waves goodbye, but not before Sour Cream ruffled Steven's hair playfully and whispered something in his ear. Whatever it was, Buck didn't catch it.

* * *

 

"So where are we headed?" Buck asked as they strolled west down the boardwalk.

"Ah, almost forgot!" Sour Cream reached into his pocket and drew out a bandana, "It wouldn't be a surprise if you were looking." He gave his lover a teasing look.

"Aw, come on, a peek wouldn't hurt."

"Tsk-tsk-tsk, sunglasses off, mister."

Buck relented and took off his sunglasses so Sour Cream could put the bandana over his eyes. He put them back on just to maintain appearances.

"So, can you see anything?" Sour Cream waved a hand across Buck's face.

"I can see the bandana."

"Ha ha, smart guy, I'll take that as a no."

"So," Buck asked coolly, "how am I supposed to know where I'm going?"

"Here," Sour Cream grasped Buck's hand with his own, "Hold my hand; I'll guide you there."

And so Sour Cream lead the way, taking his time and making sure Buck was a few paces behind him. Buck couldn't help but blush once again: Sour Cream's hand felt so smooth and nice to touch. Buck couldn't be happier; even with the blindfold, he could stay like this all day.

* * *

 

The two teens had been walking for quite some time now, close to an hour. Buck noted that they had been heading uphill for most of that time, with only the roars of passing cars and the sounds of nature to comfort then - somehow, he had a pretty good idea where they were headed.

After what seemed like forever (not that Buck minded), Sour Cream finally stopped. "Wait here," he told Buck, letting go of his hand and rushing off somewhere.

"Can I take this thing off now?" Buck fiddled with his blindfold.

"Just a minute," Sour Cream replied, working on something, "Aaaaaaaand, OK, now."

Wasting no time, Buck took his sunglasses off again and proceeded to remove the bandana. And when he did, he was caught speechless by the sight before him, despite being right about his guess.

Sour Cream had taken him to Brooding Hill - or Rose's Hill, as Steven had liked to call it - where a spectacular view of the distant Beach City, and the sparkling blue ocean, lay before them. He had laid out a red and white checkered picnic blanket for them to sit on, presumably from the picnic basket sitting on the blanket now. Surrounding it, arranged in a formation similar to a horseshoe, was the magic moss that they had previously encountered at Dead Man's Mouth.

"Come now," Sour Cream patted a spot on the blanket opposite him, "We wouldn't want our lunch to get cold, would we?"

Buck regained his senses. He smiled, putting on his sunglasses again and sitting in the prescribed spot on the picnic blanket. Sour Cream reached into the basket and pulled out a pizza box.

"Courtesy of Fish Stew Pizza," he mocked a bow, his hand gesturing like a ringmaster, "Custom ordered by yours truly, may I present to you the 'Pepperoni Pash-Inducing Pizza Prized Possession'!"

He opened the box, revealing a heart-shaped pizza. It was oozing with cheese, as both a topping and as crust stuffing. The pepperoni crudely spelt 'Sour Cream + Buck' on it. It looked wonderful and insanely appetizing; Buck couldn't help but lick his thick lips.

"Dude, this is one rad pizza," Buck said, "Thanks a bunch."

"You'll have to thank Jenny for the message, it was her idea, " Sour Cream handed him a slice, "Dig in and tell me what you think."

Buck took the slice gratefully and bit into it. The cheese was elastic; he struggled to pull his bite free, but when he did a string of the stuff was hanging from his mouth. The teens giggled, and Sour Cream gently pushed the cheese into Buck's mouth. Buck once again blushed: he was feeling very bashful today!

To say the pizza was amazing was an understatement. It was very plain flavour-wise, but it was done incredibly well. The cheese was flavoursome but not overpowering, while the pepperoni had a slight smoky quality to it, enriching the taste. The base was also soft and easy on the teeth. Yes siree, this was probably the best pizza Buck had ever eaten, and from the way Sour Cream was digging into his slice, it looked like he felt the same way.

They enjoyed their pizza in silence, and it seemed the whole world stood still around them: the only sound around them was the whistling of the gentle wind. Once they were eating their final slices, the wind seemed to pick up. "Ah, it's almost time," Sour Cream said.

"For what?" Buck asked, but he soon found out. Around them, the magic moss started to sway in the wind, as if alive. The two teenagers watched as the moss bloomed into the pink blossoms they had seen before. It was an ethereal sight.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Sour Cream told him, "I love you, man." The wind tossed his hair playfully as he smiled gently and sincerely.

He pulled the cassette player out of his pocket, removed the headphones and hit the play button. The sounds of some love song - either could not remember the name - filled the air, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

And it was there right there and then that Buck Dewey couldn't be happier to have someone like Sour Cream not only in his life, but as his closest friend and lover at the same time. He stood up, approaching Sour Cream and sat in the middle on his crossed legs. Buck pushed his sunglasses up to his forehead and stared deeply into Sour Cream's eyes. "I love you too," Buck said, before kissing Sour Cream gently on the lips.

And so there they were, Sour Cream cradling Buck in his arms while they shared a kiss that transcended all others, with the gentle melodies of love being carried into the air, along with the blossoming moss flowers, to the glittering seaside town in the distance. Such was a day to remember.


	3. Midday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Greg reminisce about the times they've celebrated Valentine's Day with Rose.

The sun shone with such intensity as it neared the zenith of its travelling arc. As it reached there, it almost seemed as if the sky was simply a giant hollow cylinder and the sun was a giant ceiling light shining through one end - the complete centre of everything.

The celestial star smiled down on the happy coastal town of Beach City, its light catching on even the smallest of reflective surfaces, from glass bottles properly disposed in recycling bins to the wide clean windows of the car wash business, It's A Wash, at the northeast. It is here where our story continues...

* * *

 

Greg Universe whistled a catchy rhythm to himself as he danced around his trusty van, giving it an admittedly not-much-needed hose down. Business had been fairly quiet today: though to be fair no right-minded couple would want to spend their romantic day at such a place. Greg couldn't blame them; to be honest, he didn't want to be here right now either - and it wasn't the lack of daily income that was the biggest issue on his mind.

All Greg wanted to do was to see Rose Quartz again.

Rightfully, he missed her almost every day: but on this particular day, every year since Steven was born - and when Rose sacrificed her physical form to become a part of Steven - without fail, the memories seemed to come flooding back.

Suddenly washing the van didn't seem like a fun pasttime after all. With a somber sigh, Greg turned off the hose and put it away. He figured he didn't need to bother with drying the van with a cloth: the sun would take care of that. He set out his favourite deckchair and brought out his guitar. Greg sat, and strummed a familiar tune for times past, staring up at the sky aimlessly as he sung to himself;

_"_ _♫_ _What can I do, for you?_ _♫_ _"_

_"_ _♫_ _What can I do, that no one else can do?_ _♫_ _"_

"Hey, Dad!"

Greg gasped, waking out of his trance. "Oh, it's only you, shtoo-ball." Before him stood his son, Steven Universe. "What brings you here? Don't you have any _plans_ today?" Greg gave him a cheeky wink.

"I'm trying to find a Valentine's Day gift - Buck told me that 'it's the thought that counts', but right now no useful thoughts are coming to me! Do you have any advice, Dad?"

Greg smiled warmly. "Buck is right, Steven. Try thinking about what this person likes, and maybe you might be able to find something that links with their interests."

Steven beamed. "Dad, that's great advice! I knew going to you was a great idea: you must be a pro since you had Mom to celebrate Valentine's Day with!"

Greg couldn't help but feel stabs to his heart after Steven's innocent response. "Yeah," he replied defeatedly, "Your mother loved holidays - Easter, Halloween, Christmas - but Valentine's Day was always her favourite holiday of the year."

He sighed and stared at the clouds again. "Sometimes I can't help but miss her."

Steven's smile dropped as he looked at Greg. Steven never liked seeing his friends upset, least of all his own dad. "...Is, there any way I can help?" he asked timidly.

"It's OK, Steven," Greg gave him a weary smile, "Don't let your old man spoil your day. Go find yourself that perfect present!" He tried to gesture enthusiastically, but it came out half-heartedly.

It did little to cheer Steven up fully, but it did get him thinking. Then suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head! "Dad, I might not be able to help you, but I _do_ know someone who can!"

"Really? Who?"

Steven spread his arms out wide at his amazing revelation. "Pearl!"

Greg could only look at Steven with a confused expression on his face, but Steven proceeded to explain, "Pearl knows a lot of things, especially about Mom! And I know that she misses Mom just as much as you do. If there's anyone you can talk to about Mom, it's her."

Greg pondered this proposal. Pearl did care for Rose, but Greg did know that his own relationship with her was a minefield, so to speak; seemingly OK on the surface, but misplace your step and things get ugly. Still, he wasn't exactly doing anything noteworthy right now, and he felt like he needed to get these feelings off his chest.

"Yeah, you're right, little buddy," he gave Steven an affectionate noogie, "I guess I should pay Pearl a visit." Greg stood up and started to make his way to the beach, giving Steven a thankful goodbye.

Watching Greg go, Steven stood with fists on his hips, happy to solve a problem. He then headed to town, whistling on his way.

* * *

 

Pearl watched the washing machine start, with fists on her hips, happy to solve the problem of Steven's dirty laundry. Taking the empty laundry basket in her hands, she hopped on the Warp Pad, humming to herself as she was warped to the house's interior, placing the laundry basket back in its rightful place as she went. She stepped into the living room and stopped.

The Temple was eerily quiet today, she thought. Steven was out and about, as was Ruby and Sapphire. Amethyst was probably still sleeping in her room, and Pearl had recalled that the newcomer Peridot was with her. Pearl winced inwardly - while it was true Peridot was showing signs of co-operation lately, what with the drill project, the impeding Cluster threat, and her impeding allegiance with the Crystal Gems on the horizon, nonetheless Pearl still wanted to keep a eye on her. She only hoped that Amethyst was doing so, but Amethyst and responsibility didn't mix that often.

Pearl sighed, sitting on the couch: all the chores were done, and now there was nothing left to do. She glanced at the large framed portrait of Rose Quartz above the door. Today was _that_ day, Pearl thought bitterly, and once again Rose was not here to enjoy it with her.

The truth was, Pearl was apathetic to holidays in general - they were just pointless wasteful human traditions that often encouraged dangerous materialistic ideas and she could not understand why everyone glamorized them so - but Rose had at least made them bearable.

The rat-tat-tat of a knocking door brought Pearl out of her thoughts. Someone was at the front door, she thought, maybe one of Steven's little friends? She approached and saw it was only Greg. She groaned inwardly and opened the door for him.

"Hello, Greg," she said, switching to the civilised persona she assumed when around him.

"Hey Pearl," Greg smiled, "May I come in?"

Pearl gave him a confused glance, "You do know Steven isn't here right now, right?"

"Yes, I know, I just wanted to talk, that's all."

Seeing no threat in doing so, she let him in. She couldn't help but be a little unsettled by this new turn of events. "...Can, I..." Pearl struggled to find the right words, "... _help_ you with anything?"

Greg's back was currently facing Pearl, and as she finished he sighed and turned around. He appeared unusually weary.

"Can we, talk about Rose, Pearl?"

Pearl was surprised at his confession. Greg was usually upbeat - she was not used to seeing him like this. Still, this was a touchy subject for her. "What about her, specifically?" Pearl spoke with a distant politeness.

"I'm not really sure why, but Valentine's Day always brings a large flow of memories to me - memories of Rose," Greg puppy-dog-eyed Pearl, "I, was just wondering if you felt the same way."

Pearl prided herself on being generally composed and mature, but she couldn't help but feel a strong upsurge of feelings - sorrow, anger, jealousy, loneliness, just to name a few - at what he said. "I, have n-no idea of what you're talking about Greg," Pearl walked past him, arms crossed, her back turned on him coldly. Her body gave an occasional twitch, snitching out her inner turmoil.

She stopped, her arms lowered to her sides and her hands clenched into fists. "Rose, is gone, Greg," she spoke, her voice soured by memories past. While she felt that she was giving him a necessary lesson on life, part of her knew she was reminding herself as well. A tear trickled down Pearl's cheek, unbeknowst to Greg.

"But what about all that talk of you being her closest friend? Surely you would have some precious memories of her?"

Pearl was livid. How _dare_ he suggest that I don't have treasured memories of Rose? she fumed. Without looking desperate, she powerwalked briskly to the Temple entrance, using her gem to open the door to her room. Once opened she entered without hesitation.

"Pearl-" Greg called, but she was already gone. He had hoped she would cope with it better, but now he felt like a huge jerk. But it wasn't long until Pearl came back.

She wore a frown of barely-contained rage, and in her hands was a heart-shaped box of chocolates. She marched over to the kitchen and almost slammed the box on the counter. From his perspective, Greg could see the box: coloured mexican pink with a cute pink bow wrapped around it, the treats normally contained in it were long gone.

Pearl took a deep breath, long and slow. "Pearl, I'm s-" Greg started.

"This box," she interrupted, gesturing to the box in question, "has a story behind it. Do you know what that story is?" She was still angry but calmer now, as evident by her tone of voice.

"I, er, no, I haven't-"

"Well," Pearl said, a little sweeter, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools, "I suggest you take a seat because I will tell you."

Greg was confused, but obliged. He got himself comfortable on the couch, as Pearl stared longingly at Rose's portrait and began her story.

* * *

 

_Rose Quartz had always been a people watcher._

_Pearl would often see her at some vantage point, whether it was sitting on the sandy shores of the beach or at a cafe table, watching the people around her. Pearl herself could not understand it - what was it about them that had Rose so intrigued? It wasn't like these where anybody noteworthy or interesting; they were just ordinary townsfolk that the Crystal Gems pretty much saw every day._

_But still, Rose persisted. "I just find them cute," she had told Pearl once. Rose people-watched as much as she could, except when the humans were sleeping or when there was demanding Gem work to be done. To her, the day-to-day lives of the citizens of the young Beach City was like the many books she had read over the years._

_It seemed like Rose knew almost everything there was to know about each and every resident of Beach City, and was not above looking into the town's gossip as well. One night she came back as usual, smiling much more radiantly than usual. Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet all looked at her curiously. "Someone seems cheerful today," Garnet commented, "What's up?"_

_Amethyst looked up - she had been playing with two rocks in a mock puppet show. "Did William Dewey finally figure out that one of his socks is missing?" She pulled it out of her pocket, grinning wickedly._

_Rose chuckled. "He did, Amethyst, and he had been aggressively asking about it around town. But that's not what I wanted to talk about: the day after tomorrow Luca Valentine comes home!"_

_The rest of the Crystal Gems shared confused glances. "Who?" Pearl finally asked._

_"If you remember, almost one year ago, Luca Valentine left on a ship to a distant country for official business, leaving behind his young wife Caliah. But he promised her he would be back exactly one year from that very day! And that day is the day after tomorrow!"_

_An awkward pause came after that. Still, Rose's enthusiasm was not deterred, "So, don't you want to know what happens next?"_

_The other Crystal Gems shook their heads. "Well," Rose continued anyway, "Caliah Valentine wants to surprise her husband once he comes back - she wants to remind him of the undying love she has for him. So I volunteered to help her make a gift for him!"_

_"What!?" Pearl shook her head, "Rose, we shouldn't be interacting with humans! It's just not right!"_

_"Really?" Truth be told, Rose did it all the time: because Gem monsters were few and far between, so the townspeople did not fear the Gems like they would in the future. Rose herself was actually quite renown around Beach City._

_Pearl gave a defeated exhale. Rose was going to do it anyway, regardless of what she or the others thought. Rose would never back out on a promise or an act of kindness. "Come on, Pearl," Rose put her hand on Pearl's shoulder, "It might be fun."_

_Pearl smiled at the warmth of Rose's hand. She draped her own hand over it gently. "Alright," she looked into Rose's eyes, "I'll be there when the ship comes in."_

_"Wonderful," Rose clasped her hands in delight, stars in her eyes, "And the rest of you?"_

_"Sure," Garnet replied coolly._

_"Only if Francis gets to come along," Amethyst juggled one of the rocks in her hand, "He really wants to know what it feels like to hit a ship!"_

* * *

 

_The ship arrived just after 11 am two days later. Everyone had gathered at the Beach City Pier, watching the charming vessel dock itself at the nearest pier. Caliah Valentine, dressed in her best clothes, was standing in front of the crowd, cherishing a damp napkin in one hand while holding something behind her back with her other. Rose stood next to the young woman reassuringly - their little plan had been a success. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were not too far away; the latter right beside Rose, glancing around nervously._

_The boarding plank lowered and the crew made their way down, relieved to not only see land again but to be back home as well. Bringing up the rear was a handsome young man. He was decked in appropriate sea faring gear and a grey satchel was slung over his shoulder. This must be that man Rose was talking about, Pearl thought._

_This was confirmed with a joyful cry of "Luca!" from Caliah, as she dashed towards him. Luca opened his arms in welcome, embracing her as she rushed into his arms. He swung her around in glee as they laughed merrily. Rose couldn't help but shed a tear, flicking it away with a wipe of her hand._

_Caliah handed Luca a gift wrapped in newspaper and tied with a loose rope. "It doesn't have the prettiest wrapping," she told him, "but I thought you might like what's inside."_

_He eagerly dug into it, revealing a lovely knitted sweater underneath. It was as blue as the raging waters underneath the boat, and it was decorated with a cute pattern of sea shells. Luca readily pulled it over his head, admiring his gift. "'Tis a perfect fit," he noted, smiling lovingly at Caliah, "Excellent work, my sugar bun."_

_He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small box, handing it to Caliah. She opened it and squealed in delight as she pulled out the most beautiful aquamarine necklace, complete with matching earrings. Luca held her hands, took the necklace and placed it gently around her neck, while she adorned the earrings._

_"If you weren't already a treasure, you certainly look like one now," Luca told her._

_"Oh, darling," Caliah sobbed, embracing him once more, "They're wonderful - I shall wear them every day!"_

_And then Luca swept Caliah off her feet, and kissed her on the lips. The  crowd was taken with the strong love shared between the two; even Garnet couldn't help but "aww" along with everyone. Amethyst mock-gagged while Pearl stood still, witnessing how true love and affection was displayed. She looked at Rose, who looked back at her and smiled warmly._

_And then, as if by magic, the couples in the crowd turned to each other and gave each other gifts as well! Rose couldn't help but gasp in delight, her hands holding her cheeks; everyone must've caught on with the news and decided to celebrate their love as well. Pearl continued to take everything in. There was no sweeter place to be than the Beach City Pier that day._

_And that was when, of course, Valentine's Day was born._

* * *

 

"Wow," Greg was stunned, "I can't believe you were there when Valentine's Day _started_! But what does that have to do with you and Rose specifically?"

Pearl patiently held her hand up, "I was just getting to that," she told him - her tone was a lot more gentle and friendly. "When I saw how happy the couples made each other, and when I saw how Rose seemed to revel in their affection, I decided then and there that I wanted to make Rose feel what they felt: truly loved and special."

* * *

 

_One year passed, and Valentine's Day was once again celebrated on that very day._

_Pearl had decided to accompany Rose around town. Beach City had been taken over by heart-shaped paintings, for they adorned the walls of every building in every shade of red and pink. Little stalls had been set up in the marketplace specifically for the event, while the local cafe was experimenting with a new annual coffee brew._

_Pearl, who had been walking behind Rose, sped up her pace until she was beside her. "The town looks marvellous, doesn't it?" Rose told her, gesturing to the wooden walls painted with hearts._

_"Um, yes - yes it does," Pearl replied, but she still appeared troubled - she wanted to show Rose how she felt, and idle small talk was not the way to do it._

_They approached the town cafe. Suddenly, Pearl blurted, "Say, why don't we try that new coffee that this establishment is offering?" She tried to sound hearty and cheerful, but it came out a little fake: she immediately regretted it. It didn't make logical sense; Gems didn't need to eat! Despite this, Rose did not notice, and agreed to Pearl's offer. So Pearl lead Rose inside._

_The interior was small and full of steam, but it produced a cheery atmosphere. Pearl was a little awkward when ordering the coffees (she never really did this sort of thing) but the barista, a young woman with curly black hair and umber skin with cool jewel undertones, understood. She cheerfully took the change Pearl gave her (after patiently showing Pearl how money worked) and told her and Rose to take a seat outside while they waited. Immediately after that she dove into her work._

_Pearl and Rose stepped outside again into the sunlight. A small table for two was just outside the cafe, just underneath a pot of draped wisterias which hung from the building's side. As they took their seats, Pearl couldn't help but notice how beautiful Rose looked with the sun lit up behind her. Rose did not see this, for she was too preoccupied with watching the happy faces dashing down the cobble streets, with an occasional cyclist whirring past._

_It was moments like these that made Pearl's centuries-old existence worthwhile: just her and Rose, enjoying each other's company._

_The barista arrived with the coffee, and soon the conversation picked up from there. Both Rose and Pearl were discussing the ingredients of the recipe: first speculating based on their first tastes, then reaffirming these claims by drinking some more. The discussion was both relaxed and intense, and both Gems found themselves laughing at some of the more outrageous claims (Rose swore she tasted pumpkin!). Eventually, they determined it was gingerbread-flavoured; and it wasn't that bad, either._

_Soon they left, still giggling, and it felt like they were closer than ever. Rose gave Pearl a fond glance and said, "Humans can be very creative when it comes to food. Even I find some of their culinary delectable. I could use some more, wouldn't you agree?" She gave Pearl a wink and started laughing again. Pearl gave her a bashful smile._

_They were heading deep into the marketplace, and Pearl spied a chocolate stand coming up. Before Rose had noticed, Pearl had already rushed up to the stand and bought a box of finely imported chocolates._

_"My Pearl, you know just what a Gem needs!" Rose said, admiring the box. Pearl blushed, waving her hand in an 'oh, you' gesture. Rose had already dug in and had offered one to Pearl - reluctantly, she tried one, and it was actually quite delicious! Not enough to warrant eating, Pearl thought, but if she was forced to eat something, these chocolates would be her pick._

_She looked at Rose, who returned the gesture. If people were chocolates, Pearl's thoughts continued, I'd choose Rose every single time._

* * *

 

"And so there you have it," Pearl concluded, "The first Valentine's Day shared by Rose and I. And, there were many more to come after that." She unconsciously had one hand laid on the chocolate box she had gotten Rose that day.

Greg's gaze fell from Rose's portrait, to the chocolate box, to Pearl herself. "Wow, that's a nice memory to have, Pearl," he said, and then hung his head in shame, "I'm sorry I implied otherwise."

"Think nothing of it," was Pearl's answer to that. Truth be told, she felt a lot better confiding something like that to someone other than Rose for once, even if it was Greg.

"Actually," Greg stood up, is if he just had a brilliant idea, "That reminds me of something I remember."

"Really?" Pearl said, sounding confused, "What of? Will it take long to explain?"

"No no, you can say sitting," Greg told Pearl, for she was just about to get off the chair, "It's a short story, but hopefully it's a nice one. It was the first Valentine's Day Rose and I spent together..."

* * *

 

_When Greg had asked Rose to be his Valentine, she readily agreed, almost jumping for joy_ (in hindsight, Greg thought, that reaction seems less crazy if you consider Rose's long love of the holiday) _. It wasn't an impressive day, by any means: all they really did was lay on the beach and talk. At one point Greg pulled out his trusty guitar and started to play - Rose caught on and soon they were singing a lovely duet. They didn't care if other people thought they were off their rocker; they were in love._

_Eventually the beach got boring and they headed for a cafe in the middle of the town_ (probably the same one all those years ago) _and had, of course, ordered two of the annual Valentine's gingerbread latte. As they drunk their beverages, Rose commented, "You know, when I first tried this, I swore it was a pumpkin latte! Can't you believe how crazy that sounds? Who puts pumpkin in coffee?"_

_Greg stopped mid-sip. "Actually there is such a thing as pumpkin coffee."_

_"Really?!" Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing._

_"Yeah, it gets really popular during fall. I think this cafe serves it as well."_

_Rose was stunned to silence. Eventually she stood up abruptly and stated, "I have to tell Pearl!"_

_"Wait, what?!" Greg quickly finished his drink and chased after her, "Tell Pearl?"_

_"After all these years-" Rose giggled maddeningly, "she thought my Gem was cracked or something!" She erupted in big, hearty laughs. She was still cackling like a hyena when Greg caught up to her. But it was infectious, and soon he was laughing too. Now they knew people thought they were off their rocker, but they didn't care; they were in love._

* * *

 

"Honestly," Greg said, "That story never made sense to me until now."

Pearl had a hand clasped over her mouth daintily; even she couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "I remember that day: Rose had come dashing into the Temple that night, rambling on excitedly about pumpkins and hot drinks and other weird coffee flavours! So that was where she got that idea from!" Her laughs rose in frequency and volume, and soon Greg had joined in too.

And so, Pearl and Greg sat in the living room, exchanging stories about the many Valentine's Days they had shared with Rose. Pearl, given her enormous lifespan, had a large array of stories to tell: she took Greg through time as she told of her and Rose strolling through Victorian-era streets, not a care in the world; to the emergence of human ingenuity, with all kinds of curious contraptions which fascinated Rose to no end; to the electric boogaloo of the disco culture; to movie nights at the local cinema, Rose hypnotised by the moving pictures while Pearl fell deeply for Rose's adorkableness. Greg's were shorter, and most of them sounded the same, but they were sweet none the less. In a way, both Pearl and Greg felt they were keeping Rose's memory alive somehow, and they gained a newfound respect for each other for providing this.

Their bonding experience was interrupted when Steven suddenly burst through the door, teary-eyed and carrying some sort of wreckage in his hands.

"Pearl! D-Dad!" he cried, rushing into the living room and planting whatever he was carrying on the coffee table, "Something _awful_ has happened!"

Both Greg and Pearl rushed to comfort Steven, who had been reduced to tears from overwhelming emotions. It was true, they thought, Rose is gone. But here is the last embodiment of her left in this world, alone and afraid.

And it was their duty to love and protect him at all costs.


	4. Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot, curious of this Earthling holiday, demands Amethyst help her partake in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little worried that Peridot is a bit OOC in this chapter (and this fic as a whole), so be warned!

The sun, having grown contempt for its skyward throne, has begun to descend from the heavens. However it still graces the earth, looking down on the settlements that grace its face. For you see, the sun is not yet bored with the daily exploits of the people who lived here; far from it, for the adventure is only beginning. The next chapter of the day continues from where it last left off: at the Crystal Temple, only now it starts deep in its depths...

* * *

 

" _Oh CLODS!_ " a familiar voice shrieked.

From atop a garbage pile, Amethyst finally summed up the strength to arise from her nap. Inviting Peridot into her room the night before had been fun, for a few minutes: Peridot had made it her duty to commentate her thoughts on _everything_ she came across, and eventually Amethyst had gotten tired of her drivel and had dozed off, leaving Peridot to her own devices. Amethyst was surprised Peridot had managed to keep out of trouble for so long, and so she hopped off her pile and sought out the frustrated cries from deeper into her room.

She eventually came on Peridot, who had gotten her foot stuck in ... _something_. "Yo, Peri, I worked hard to preserve that gum collection for hundreds of years!" Amethyst joked, "You mind not gunking it up? I don't want to know where that foot of yours has been."

"This infernal concoction-" Peridot struggled to get her foot free, "-was _YOUR_ doing!?"

"...Yeah," Amethyst casually lifted Peridot off the ground, pulling her free of the gum. "Great. I was hoping to save this for a few more centuries, but oh well." And so Amethyst picked up the large gum wad in one hand, about the size of a small dog and caked in various hairs, and promptly shoved it in her mouth. Peridot grimaced and made a disgusted noise.

"It's about time we make a move on anyway," Amethyst, still carrying Peridot under her arm, made her way to the door, "Pearl usually gets antsy when I stay asleep this long." Peridot grunted in response.

The two of them arrived to find an unordinary scene before them in the living room. Greg, Steven and Pearl were huddled around the couch, hands propped to their cheeks in thought, as they stared down some wreckage on the coffee table. Lots of office equipment was piled on the floor next to them. None of them noticed the new arrivals.

"Hey, guys!" Amethyst greeted them cheerily. She dropped Peridot on the floor and jumped daringly into the air, landing on the couch beside Pearl. "What are you up to? Making some nerd stuff?"

Pearl listlessly looked at her, "Oh, hello Amethyst. We're trying to fix this for Steven. It's a ... what is it again?" She looked at the others, hoping they would finish her sentence.

"It's a kite," Steven added glumly. Greg patted his back reassuringly. "It was supposed to be a Valentine's Day gift."

At this point Peridot had picked herself off the floor and was wiping the dust off of her. "What is this, so called, _Valentine's Day_?" she asked to no one in particular.

The others looked up, as if having a revelation - of course Peridot wouldn't know! "It's a human thing," Amethyst replied, "When people in love decided to celebrate it on a special day. Getting things for each other, helping them out, being more considerate, stuff like that."

Peridot pondered. "What is this thing you call, love?"

Amethyst was about to answer, but the thought of defining such a concept to someone unfamiliar with it was difficult, to say the least. She got off the couch, standing next to Peridot. Somehow, the words came to her. "Love is when you care about someone, even when they smell gross or when they act totally uncool. It's a way of saying to someone that you've got their back no matter what, even when they're deep in clod," she pulled a tiny speck of gum off of Peridot's foot, "Friends, family, partners: love is something that binds people together in an invisible and unexplainable way." Amethyst stared at the tiny gum wad, carelessly stretching it with her pointer finger and thumb. The audience on the couch quietly approved of Amethyst's definition while Peridot considered this guidance.

"Are we friends, Amethyst?" Peridot asked innocently; recent events with Yellow Diamond were still on her mind.

"Well, yeah!" Amethyst gave her a grin, "We're cool, right?"

Peridot couldn't help but feel her lips flicker upward. "Does this mean, we love each other, right?"

Steven gasped from across the room, his eyes glittering like stars.

Amethyst was taken aback a little, but responded with, "Y-Yeah, I guess so." Truth be told, she didn't care about Peridot _that_ much - she had done some pretty inexcusable things for Homeworld's sake, but that was for another time and another place. But nor could she hate her fully, because in a way Peridot was kind of cool, even if she was a _nerd_. Amethyst honestly enjoyed having another Gem to talk to, one that wasn't a Crystal Gem that is.

"D'awwwwwwwwwwww!!" Steven sighed, recovering from his previous mood. "You two would make a great Valentine's Day couple!"

"W-W- _WHAT?_ " Amethyst replied, incredibly flustered. "I-I don't do that kind of stuff, Steven, you know that. I'm not a _lovey-dovey kissy-wissy_ type!" She batted her eyelashes in doll-like fashion, making disgusting air kisses to further prove her point.

"Well," Peridot interjected awkwardly, "I'm intrigued."

Greg, Pearl and Amethyst could only stare - Peridot interested in Valentine's Day? The very idea baffled them to no end. Steven, on the other hand, was overjoyed. "That's great, Peridot! Why don't you and Amethyst go out and have some fun together! You could try out the new roller-coaster at Funland!" Steven was referring to the Roller Blitz Comet, which apparently was _eons_ better than the Appalachian, the only other roller-coaster at the amusement park.

"Whoa, whoa wh-" Amethyst was about to protest, but for some reason she reconsidered, "Well, I did always want to try that ride (with a name like that, who could refuse!), and P can hold down the fort on her own," she gestured at Pearl, who blushed, "And I am craving for some chocolate..."

"Well, good!" Peridot grabbed Amethyst's palm, "Because you're going to be my informed associate, as you help me partake in this fascinating human ritual!" And with that, she dragged Amethyst out the door and away. The others shrugged and resumed their investigation on the wrecked kite.

"So," Greg said to no one in particular, "Is she always like this...?"

* * *

 

"Slow down there, nacho head!" Amethyst shouted, as she was still being dragged the undeterred Peridot. The two Gems soon arrived to the boardwalk, where Peridot stopped, puffing and panting.

"N-N-" she gasped for air, "Nacho head?"

Amethyst rolled her eyes; she didn't feel like explaining. "Look, make me understand: you don't seem like the type of Gem who would be interested in human customs, least of all their 'trivial' romance. Yet you seem so caught with Valentine's: why?"

Peridot was silent for a moment. She appeared to be reflecting on something, but eventually she answered, "Back on Homeworld, we have a celebration similar to this every year: celebrating the brave Quartz warriors who have fought for Homeworld in the past. It seemed like they were treated like the Diamonds themselves!" She cleared her throat, and reverted to her business-like manner, "A Peridot can only dream to be revelled in that manner, so I want you to do so, if you don't mind," she dusted some mock dust off of Amethyst's chest, "It would be in your best interest to allow me to achieve my goal, capisce?" She smirked, hoping that Amethyst was fully on board with her.

Amethyst was dumbfounded - Peridot still had a lot to learn. "No, don't you get it?" She grasped Peridot's hands in her own, "If you think you want me to idolize you, think again. That's not what this holiday is about: it's about equality and stuff; you know, giving in equal measure, and all that. Putting your partner on a pedestal just isn't healthy."

"What are you implying?" Peridot pointed at her accusingly.

"All I'm saying is if you want me to worship you," Amethyst leapt into Peridot's arms and grinned cheekily, "You gotta worship me too." She gave Peridot a wink.

Peridot gagged, putting Amethyst down. "I ... guess I comply," she replied begrudgingly, her arms crossed.

"That's the spirit! So," Amethyst shape-shifted into Lil' Butler, and put on a suitable voice, " _shall we dine on the finest chocolates and ride the finest rides, Madame Nacho Head?_ "

Peridot couldn't help but snigger at Amethyst's ridiculous act. " _We shall_ ," she replied daintily, which set Amethyst into roars of laughter and Peridot couldn't help but join in. They skipped their way to Funland, arm in arm.

* * *

 

The way there was uneventful, but by the time they reached the amusement park their peals of laughter had died down. Funland was practically bursting with the Valentine's Day crowd, but luckily everyone was more focused on the attractions than just loitering about: so making their way around the park wasn't claustrophobic at least. Amethyst couldn't remember the last time she went there - wasn't she banned from this place or something due to a 'teacup' incident? - but she got the feeling the place had gotten a noticeable improvement in quality since her last visit. Peridot inspected the weird mechanical contraptions that the humans enjoyed to use, but in her mind things like this were simply archaic compared to what Homeworld could do, should the Diamond Authority choose to make a place equivalent to this. Still, she wanted to experience them first-hand.

"So, what did you want to go on first?" Amethyst clung from a directory pole, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun, "Should we go on the Roller Blitz Comet straight away?"

Something caught Peridot's eye. "Isn't that-"

Amethyst was scouting left and right, and replied without looking at her, "No, no, you're right! We'll try all the lamer rides first and built up your self-confidence, and _then_ we'll save the best 'til last! Great thinking, Peri!" She swung off the pole and gave Peridot a thumbs up.

"No, not that!" Peridot guided Amethyst's head, "Isn't that a Gem over there?"

And she was right - in the distance, Sapphire was buying something from some vendor stand. She got whatever she wanted and walked off, oblivious of the other two Gems.

"Ah, that's just Sapphire," Amethyst reassured Peridot, "She's one half of Garnet - Ruby is the other half."

"So that's one of the fusion partners? _Separated?!_ " Peridot hesitated, then decided to advance towards Sapphire, "I have to talk to her! I must ask her why she has chosen to abandon her fusion partner! They were _Percy and Pierre_ , for Quartz sake!"

And she would have if it weren't for Amethyst, who was firmly holding her back. "Slow down there, partner! I don't think she wants to be bothered with Gem business today: it's not often she gets to unfuse."

Peridot grimaced, and reluctantly stood down. "Fine. Maybe some other time..."

"That's better," Amethyst petted her head like a dog owner would pet their charge. "Now we have to try the merry-go-round to get you started..."

* * *

 

One merry-go-ride later, Peridot found herself feeling a little dizzy, so Amethyst decided to show her the game booths before they tackled another ride. Festively decorated, they approached a stand, operated by a smiling lady with a straw. Lined up along the booth were five water guns attached to the stand, and across from them were five hot air balloon sculptures.

"Hey there ladies!" The booth woman greeted them with exuberant enthusiasm, startling Peridot a little, "Try your hand at this game! Just aim for the hot air balloon basket, and the balloon will fill up! Whoever fills up the balloon up first wins!"

Amethyst gave Peridot a challenging smirk. "Pfft, you won't stand a chance against me, Homegirl!"

"We'll see about that," Peridot retorted similarly. They took hold of a water pistol each, and soon the game began!

SQUIRT! Both pistols shot the water towards the basket targets. Peridot's aim was dead on, and her balloon started filling up almost immediately. Amethyst was a little off target, but when she hit the sweet spot she was fair game - as she was applying more force on her trigger than her opponent, Amethyst's balloon was filling up more rapidly.

Slowly but surely Amethyst's balloon was catching up to Peridot's. The latter was sweating bullets as she tried to apply as much force on her trigger as it would allow. Amethyst narrowed her eyes, achieving a laser-like focus.

The shrill cry of a bell ended the game, and Peridot was all to delighted to discover that she had won! "In your face!" she cheered, jumping around before abruptly stopping to recover her characteristic composure.

"Yeah, you sure did," Amethyst grinned, amused by Peridot's changing attitudes.

"Shall we partake in another game?" Peridot asked politely.

"Sure, but I bet I'll bet this time I'll win!"

This got Peridot fired up again. "You're on!"

* * *

 

They went on some more rides and tried out some more stalls: Amethyst winning some, and Peridot winning others. Peridot's confidence had grown rapidly, and on the teacup ride she had even hollered for joy! She would definitely be ready for the Roller Blitz Comet, when the time came.

Right now she was at a ring toss stall. Amethyst had opted out on this one and was watching Peridot amusingly. Anyone could easily see the game was rigged - the pegs were much too tall and too thick for the rings to fit around - yet Peridot was so sure she could win. As the game went on, Amethyst could see the growing frustration on Peridot's face, as her skin flushed to a darker tone of green.

" _Psst_ ," Amethyst whispered, for a great idea had just conceived in her head, "Allow me." And when the stall owner wasn't looking, Amethyst shape-shifted into a ring and settled herself in Peridot's hand.

Peridot threw Amethyst, who adjusted her shape to allow herself to fit around the peg. When she did, Peridot cheered in triumph. The stall owner turned around and couldn't believe his eyes! "How could - Wait a minute..."

"Beat ya, ya tosser!" Amethyst changed back to her ordinary form, grabbed the nearest prize near her - a giant, egg-shaped purple rabbit - and ran for it, Peridot in tow! The man tried to cry out, but nobody paid him any mind; for they knew of his dirty game and felt that he had gotten his comeuppance.

Peridot and Amethyst were still running for dear life, chortling madly as they went. Finally they settled down on a nearby park bench, trying to calm themselves down.

"Genius! A genius tactic!" Peridot commended, "I would expect no less from a Quartz warrior!"

"Well, it wasn't too hard," Amethyst replied. Suddenly she became aware of the time, without a clock in sight. "Man, we've been here a while. We should probably head back, Pearl would be worried."

"Aw, come on! We haven't been on the, er, whatchamacallit? The Roller, Derby, thing-"

"Oh, right!" Amethyst chuckled, "How could I forget?" She looked over the bench - conveniently, the Roller Blitz Comet wasn't too far away. "One more ride, and then we go back."

Peridot nodded.

* * *

 

The Funland boardwalk had to be extended to accommodate the Roller Blitz Comet. A mean and lean serpentine of steel, its highest point was over 200 feet tall - only the bravest dare to tame this ride, which was the biggest in the surrounding area.

Of course, Amethyst was one such brave person - er, Gem. And Peridot wanted to be like that too.

They had gotten lucky as the queue wasn't too long, and when it was their turn they had not only managed to get their fluffy prize on the ride as well, but they had gotten the front car! Amethyst could even spot some familiar faces on the ride - Sour Cream and Buck Dewey sat together, talking casually (she would never have guessed they were dating!), and behind them sat Lars and Sadie, both looking a bit frazzled but otherwise fine.

Peridot was inspecting the ride as precisely as she could. "I'm curious about this ride - perhaps I should ask one of these humans about the technical details," she said, gesturing to one of the ride operators, decked in a navy blue operating uniform, something like a janitor would wear.

"Nah, the ride's about to start soon and they don't really talk about that stuff with civilians," Amethyst replied. "Besides, I'm sure you could find that stuff on the internet."

Peridot blinked, confused. "Inter-net?"

Amethyst sighed, smirking as she said, "Boy, I still have a lot to tell you about Earth, don't I?"

"I suppose you -" Peridot was cut off by a voice over the intercom, which recited ride etiquette, as it did every time the ride was operated. And as if by magic, the safety bars lowered themselves, stopping themselves at the rider's chest level. The stuffed bunny found its stomach squashed, while Peridot's had gone down all the way, as she was so skinny - even then, it wasn't a perfect fit.

"Don't worry, you can cling to this guy," Amethyst gestured to their prize, lodged between them, "And even if you do fall out, I'll just bubble your gem and send you back to the Temple!"

Peridot didn't find this comforting in the slightest, but she decided it was a good idea to cling to the rabbit for dear life.

" _Please enjoy the ride,_ " the intercom droned monotonously. And then the ride commenced - Peridot gasped suddenly - making its slow ascent up the first hill. Amethyst was excited, but Peridot chattered her teeth as if it was freezing cold.

The front car reached the top of the arch, and Peridot could really see how high they were. Normally, she wasn't afraid of heights - when she had her limb enhancers, she knew she was in control of how high she flew and for how long, and if ever she was uncomfortable she could land on her own power.

But here, that power was removed.

"Peri, you doin' OK?" Amethyst tried to give her a encouraging smile.

"I'm perfectly fine, you _CLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!_ " Peridot's outburst was caused by the ride's sudden spring into motion, as it recklessly hurtled itself down the slopes. Peridot could only scream and cling to the stuffed rabbit for dear life. Everyone else, Amethyst included, was having the time of their lives: screaming with joy and raising their arms high, despite prior instruction not to.

The Roller Blitz Comet certainly lived up to its reputation. It shot down narrow straights, roared around tight bends - it even performed spectacularly on the loop-de-loops! At some point on the ride, a poised camera clicked several times: taking pictures of each car and their occupants.

Eventually the ride managed to calm down and settled itself back where it began. Everyone emerged and the next group took their place. "Now _THAT_ was totally WILD!" Amethyst cheered - she was pumped with adrenaline.

Peridot, however, did not share her sentiment. "Wild is the term," she said, still dizzy from the roller coaster rodeo. She held her head in her hand, plagued with a massive headache, and did not notice Amethyst dart off somewhere quickly.

"Look, Peridot," Amethyst came back a quickly as she left, now holding a photograph, "Now this awesome memory has been captured forever."

Peridot looked at the picture. There they were: Amethyst ecstatic, the plush rabbit poker-faced, and Peridot terrified out of her mind. "Looks like _someone_ was enjoying themselves," Amethyst grinned at her.

"Well, for your information, I wasn't scared," Peridot huffed indignantly, "That ride had several mechanical faults and I was just concerned for the, er, safety of the humans."

"Sure you were," Amethyst replied, her tone only slightly sarcastic. She wrapped her arm and Peridot and smiled, "Let's head back to the Temple now."

Peridot smiled back a little. "I appreciate your escort, Amethyst."

"Escort? _You're my_ escort!"

"Hah, surely a Crystal Clod - um, Gem would know that as the guest, I would be the one getting escorted."

And so the conversation continued, the two Gems playfully bickering about their escort situation, as they made their way back to the Temple. While carrying a giant stuffed animal.

Such is the life of a Gem.


	5. Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one Valentine's gift Sadie wants from Lars is for him to rekindle his friendship with Ronaldo.

The end of daylight was approaching quickly, as it seemed the sun was hurtling to its destination across the horizon, like a fiery chariot blazing across space. The sky seemed to flicker with flame-like orange hues, and the clouds grew pink shadows like massive globs of cotton candy. Dusk was nearing the small town of Beach City, and it seemed to be taking a detour to the Funland amusement park...

* * *

 

Amethyst and Peridot weren't the only ones who had a wild ride on the Roller Blitz Comet. The rest of the riders of the famed rollercoaster left the gate with unsteady steps, some clutching to each other for support. They all fanned out in separate directions, presumably on their way home. Two of the riders, however, had retired to sitting on a nearby bench, gasping hungrily for air and trying to calm their tingling adrenaline. These two were none other than the Big Donut duo, Lars and Sadie.

Lars let out a big 'Woop!' between his gasps. "That was, *gasp*, some ride, huh Sadie?"

Sadie herself was clutching her beating heart, hoping to calm it down. "Yeah," she panted, "it sure was, *gasp*, something." To be honest, she had been reluctant to leave the Big Donut, let alone ride the Roller Blitz Comet, despite Lars' insistence. She recalled a time earlier that day, when she changed her mind...

* * *

 

_It had been a busy day at the Big Donut. The jam-filled heart donuts, annually sold around Valentine's Day, were a crowd-pleaser every year, and this year was no different. The rush of tourists had dominated the morning, and when it finally settled in the afternoon, Sadie exhaled a massive sigh of relief. She had felt immensely claustrophobic, and her lips were tired from talking and smiling all day: Lars couldn't stand customer service - faking a smile and being a 'sap' for the customers, as he described it, was not something he enjoyed, nor was good at - so Sadie had found herself at the register all day long. Though to Lars' credit, he had done a lot more cleaning than usual, for the jam from the donuts tended to squirt on the floor. He may not have liked it, but he did anyway without any obvious complaint, and Sadie couldn't help but feel like rewarding him._

_"The Roller Blitz Comet!" he had shouted immediately, "I've heard it's really cool but I haven't had a chance to try! Come on, Sadie, you can come with me! What do ya say?"_

_Sadie blushed; when he wanted to be, Lars can be very considerate. But something was bugging her, "But, what about the Big Donut? It's still a while before closing time..."_

_"We could close early! It's been a ghost town for an hour now!"_

_"But if someone finds out we closed early for no good reason, we could get in trouble!"_

_"It's called adapting to customer response, Sadie! We just need some statistics to show-"_

_As if on cue, Steven entered the Big Donut. "Hey, Lars!" he greeted, "Hey, Sadie!"_

_"Steven..." Lars grumbled in response, crossing his arms._

_"Hi, Steven," Sadie replied, a little wearily, "would you like the heart donut?"_

_"Wow!" Steven gasped, "It's like you can read my mind!"_

_"Yep, I sure can," Sadie said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She got one heart donut (surprisingly, they hadn't run out yet - they were well-stocked) with some tongs and put it in a paper bag before handing it to Steven._

_"Thanks, Sadie! So ... what were you guys talking about earlier?"_

_Lars scoffed, "Oh, it was nothing, none of your bus-"_

_"Lars wanted to try the Roller Blitz Comet at Funland with me," Sadie interrupted, glaring at Lars, "But we can't because the Big Donut doesn't close yet."_

_Steven took this information in and pondered, "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Oh! I have an idea!"_

_Lars and Sadie eagerly listened as Steven said, "I'll take care of the Donut while you've gone! Sadie, you've already shown me the instruction video so you don't have to retrain me!" As if to demonstrate his point, Steven began humming the 'Do or Do Nut' song again, doing a little dance as he went._

_Lars inched closer to Sadie, whispering in her ear, "Would you trust him to manage the Donut OK?"_

_"How badly do you want to go on that ride?" Sadie retorted, her voice equally quiet._

_Lars' face froze, and for a minute he thought this through. The atmosphere in the Big Donut was eerily quiet save for Steven's light-hearted hums and his footfalls on the floor. Lars sighed and eventually nodded towards Sadie._

_"Alright, Steven," Sadie said at last, "You got the job."_

_"Woo-hoo!" Steven jogged behind the counter, his arms ascended in victory. "I won't let you down, I promise!" Sadie handed him a employee shirt and then made her way to Lars._

_"Be sure to close when it gets dark," she advised, "And thanks, Steven. It means a lot to us."_

_Lars let out a grunt, and in answer Sadie elbowed him in the side. "Yeah, ditto," he said. And with that, the two exited out the back._

_"You two play nice now!" Steven teased, batting his eyelids._

_"Steven!" Lars snorted, but Sadie just giggled. "We will!" she waved, and dragged Lars out the door. The Big Donut was in the hands of the Universe now._

* * *

 

"Thanks, Lars," Sadie said bashfully, "I had fun today."

She gave him a light peck on the cheek, which caused Lars to blush profoundly, and stare at her in wonder. Sadie's blush reddened; she was never one for public affection. Neither was Lars, so she was even more surprised when he gently leaned in and kissed her lovingly on the lips.

They drew away from each other after a few seconds, but to Sadie it had seemed like an eternity. A kiss that eclipsed time ... it sounded ridiculous, but it seemed true to her.

"So now that we've done what I wanted," Lars broke the kiss and extended his hand to Sadie, "Now you decide what we do, Player 2."

It was moments like these that reinforced Sadie's affection for Lars. The two had been dating for quite some time, trying to keep a low profile (unsuccessfully, because it seemed everyone in Beach City knew - even the Crystal Gems, who were uninterested in the trivialities of human romance, had picked up on it). Sure, there was a few bumps in the road, but some of them tended to smooth themselves out. Sadie accepted Lars' hand and he helped her off the bench. They were stretching themselves when suddenly-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!"

"What was THAT?!" Lars yelped, her head darting in random directions. Seagulls were flapping madly about, seeking retreat from the scream.

"This way!" Sadie lead Lars by the hand towards the sound.

Dodging around buildings, left and right, they came across the scene - near a mesh rubbish bin sat a familiar figure, appearing to be hunched over something. The back of his burgundy shirt was caked with sweat, and the owner seemed to be cackling to himself, the volume of it slowly increasing...

"Oh no," Lars groaned, "It's just-"

"I'VE FOUND YOU AT LAST!" the stranger cheered, standing up in a victorious pose: Lars and Sadie could both plainly see it was Ronaldo Fryman, the local conspiracy freak who worked at the family business of Beach Citywalk Fries. Right now he was holding a magnifying glass in one hand, and a squirming cockroach in the other, trying to free its antennae from his grip.

"Hey, Ronaldo, whatcha doing?" Sadie asked politely.

Ronaldo's external monologue paused, and he turned around to notice his company. "Oh, Sadie, hello," he spoke with a much more appropriate volume, " _Lars_..."

Lars grunted in response. Both boys seemed to be locked in a staring contest, held together by an awkward pause. Sadie tried to remain smiling to lighten the mood. "So, what have you found, Ronaldo..." she asked, trying to make conversation.

"I'm glad you asked," Ronaldo puffed his chest in pride, "I have found the extraterrestrial cause of all this mess, the one who appears on this day every single year with no let-up, THIS MONSTROSITY!" He held up the cockroach to emphasize his point.

Lars cringed, "Isn't that just a bug?"

"Just a bug, you say? Well, someone like yourself would assume that, but _I_ have seen its TRUE COLOURS! This is no ordinary bug, this is a Love Bug™, here to corrupt everyone in Beach City with heightened affection, causing everyone to forget about the IMPORTANT THINGS!"

Sadie tried to appear interested, just to remain polite. "Oh, is that so?"

Ronaldo beamed proudly, "It is so, Sadie my lady. This Love Bug™ here is actually a queen of her species! See the slight pink tinge on its prothorax? (To Ronaldo's credit, he _was_ right about that detail.) The rest of its kind is drawn to her, and then they impregnate her with as many eggs as they can! She then finds suitable human hosts and lays a couple of eggs behind their antitragus! The eggs then hatch upon reaching the host's external body temperature, then crawl into the brain where they leech themselves onto it, brainwashing the unlucky host to become a LOVEY-DOVEY SLAVE OF COMMERCIAL EVILLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

Lars couldn't comprehend what he was hearing, to the point where even he couldn't make a witty comeback. Sadie just nervously smiled and encouraged Ronaldo to go on.

Ronaldo did, "But their plan has been foiled, for _I_ have captured this little one in the act! And now I must stake out the rest of these vile creatures: come, Sadie, for we shall become bug hunters to protect the sanctity of Beach City!" And with that, he darted off, giggling with the glee of a mad scientist as he went.

Sadie started to walk in the direction he went but Lars grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Are you NUTS?!" he scowled, "You're really going to do this with him? Indulge in his freaky conspiracy theory? Seriously, Love Bugs™?! _Really_ imaginative..."

"Hey, come on, Lars," Sadie gestured to Ronaldo, who was waiting for her in the distance, "Don't you think he seems a little lonely? Maybe we should accompany him - even if this is a little nutty, it makes him happy." And before Lars could protest, she added, "Besides, you still owe me, Player 1. You two should really rekindle that friendship, you know."

Lars huffed at the thought: how dumb and sad he must've been, to consider _Ronaldo_ of all people his friend. But Sadie did have a point, so reluctantly he agreed.

"There you go," Sadie smiled warmly and pecked Lars on the lips, leading him by the hand towards the still waiting Ronaldo.

* * *

 

And so Lars and Sadie humoured Ronaldo for a couple of hours, following him around various spots in town as he used some sort of strange device to hunt out the Love Bugs™. Every time, he would halt his followers suddenly, then retrieve his 'hunting instruments': a pair of tongs and a plastic bag dotted with tiny holes. He would carefully pick up the cockroach creature with the tongs and place it with the others in the bag - the holes in the bag let air in so they could still breathe.

Right now they were in front of Beach Citywalk Fries: Ronaldo's little brother Peedee was there, watching Ronaldo's mission with interest. "Dad only let you off today because I told him you had a Valentine's Day date, but I don't see anyone that could fit that bill..." he said, looking at Lars and Sadie pensively.

Lars practically squirmed. "Eeeugh! NEVER!"

"We're just keeping Ronaldo company today," Sadie explained.

"I have a date with _destiny_ , Peedee! Can't you understand that?" Ronaldo told his brother, as if that was a perfectly valid explanation.

Peedee just shrugged. "Suit yourselves. But hurry up this excavation a little, you're blocking the serving booth."

"Destiny waits for no man! Or _wo_ man!" Ronaldo shouted, placing his newly acquired catch in the bag and pulling out his little device again, "Come, my crew we must - Oh my! There's a Love Bug™ infestation inside Fish Stew Pizza!" And then he promptly barged through the door of said restaurant.

"Is your friend al _right_?" Jenny asked as Lars and Sadie entered soon afterwards. Right now it seemed Ronaldo had turned the restaurant upside down in his pursuit of his prey, shouting as he went.

"I doubt it," Lars retorted, leaning against the counter.

"You wouldn't happen to have a problem with cockroaches, wouldn't you?" Sadie asked.

"Actually, there is a few behind the trash bin," Jenny gestured towards it, "But don't make a mess or Daddy will flip when he gets back."

Ronaldo overheard them and removed the bin from the wall. Jenny was right; there was a load of Love Bugs™ to be found, according to Ronaldo's gleeful cheers as he set to work, shoving them into the bag as quickly as he could. Sadie, using her integrity once more, took the time to straighten up the furniture Ronaldo had overturned. Lars and Jenny made light conversation while this was going on.

After a couple of minutes Ronaldo stood up. "That should be it! All the Love Bugs™ in Beach City have been taken care of! Now to take them back to the lab for analysis!"

He excitedly ran out the door, bumping into Lars and shouting, "Thanks Pizza girl!" as he went. Lars grumbled and left Fish Stew Pizza in a dark mood, following Ronaldo. Sadie was about to follow them when Jenny put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, is there a bit of history between those two?" she inquired.

Sadie sighed, "Yeah, it's a long story."

Jenny understood, "Ronaldo seems kinda cool, in a weird way. Be sure to keep an eye on him, and if you don't, don't worry: _I_ will." She grinned and winked cheekily. Sadie smiled and left the restaurant.

* * *

 

The lighthouse up the top of the large hill always seemed to creep Lars out, ever since he and Ronaldo stopped being friends. The incident when Ronaldo held his scary movie party only reaffirmed his discomfort with the lonely spire. Sadie liked looking at it from a distance, but when up close her opinion was similar.

Still, Ronaldo seemed to like the place enough to make it his headquarters. Lars and Sadie had followed him up the large hill overlooking the beautiful cyan sea, up the winding staircase (carefully avoiding the stairs to the basement) and into his little 'office'. Large amounts of paper were tacked to the walls containing information from who-knows-where. Words like 'FEAR' and 'DOMINATION' jumped off the pages.

Ronaldo approached an old desk with a fish tank - tattered, dusty and empty of water - sitting on top. He carefully opened the bag and poured the Love Bugs™ into the tank before placing a lid on it. The insects scurried about, investigating their new prison. He then pulled up an office chair and sat on it, retrieving a notebook and pencil from off the desk.

"So, Ronaldo," Sadie stood beside him, "Now that you have the Love Bugs™, what are you going to do next?"

Ronaldo tapped the pencil on the notebook pensively. "Study them," he said, "I hope to stay here and make some notes on their behaviours and such. What makes them tick, and finally, a way to exterminate them. Beach City may be safe from the love infestation this year, but they'll come back the next year, and the next-"

"Of course they will," Lars said. Ever since they left Fish Stew Pizza he had been unusually quiet, and now his stood with his arms crossed and a thoughtful frown donned his face.

"Oh, so you agree with me?" Ronaldo swivelled the chair towards him, "It's good to see that you've recognized-"

"No, Ronaldo, I don't agree with you."

Lars' hands tugged at his shirt and his frown grew. Ronaldo could only stare at him, confused. "Lars, this isn't a good time-" Sadie started.

"It's the perfect time. Ronaldo, people going to act all icky and lovey every year just like they always do. But it's not because of your stupid Love Bugs, it's-"

"Don't forget the ™, Lars, I sought a lot of legal action just to get that trademark-"

"WHATEVER! It's not because of the cruddy bugs! It's _because_ it's Valentine's Day! They act that way because they _love_ each other, not because of _some_ stupid conspiracy theory some LOSER came up-"

"Lars!" Sadie interjected.

"What are you trying to say?" Ronaldo asked, confused and a little angry that Lars was rebuking his seemingly perfect claims.

Lars just cringed, and grabbed Sadie's hand gently, despite his rage. He gave her a soft smile before returning his cold stare to Ronaldo.

The hand grasp was all Ronaldo needed. "So, you're one of THEM, aren't you?!" Ronaldo stood up, his anger beginning to show.

"It's not like that! Weren't you LISTENING to me?!" Lars stood his ground, "Sadie and I aren't _infected_! We love each other!"

"Lars..."

"Preposterous!" Ronaldo began pacing back and forth, his arms raised in amazement, "This has to be the direct result of interference from an external source! Another party has to be controlling the minds of Beach City, _forcing_ them into-"

"No, you buffoon, it's their CHOICE!"

"It can't be! Because ... _because_..."

"Because of _WHAT_?!"

Ronaldo dropped his arms and stared at the floor, his whole demeanour changing. "Because I'm the only one not affected..."

Lars was about to burst again but Sadie stopped him. "Ronaldo..." she said sympathetically.

"Everyone seems so happy together, spending time with each other and genuinely enjoying their company..." Ronaldo stepped outside, resting his chin on the balcony railing, "Everyone except me..."

Sadie and Lars stood outside with him. Ronaldo stared at the dusky sky longingly, his mood setting just like the sun was. Sadie gave Lars a nudge. This time, Lars didn't hesitate and stepped beside Ronaldo.

"Listen, Ronaldo," he began, "Love may seem like some strange business to you, much like your wacky theories is strange business to me, but it's not as distant as it seems. All you need to do is seek it out, not hole yourself up in some place and hope it will come to you.

Love comes in different shapes and sizes, and everyone experiences love - yes, it's true, even you do. I'm sure Peedee and your dad love you, just like family should. I'm sure Sadie loves you as a friend..." Lars glanced at her, and she nodded, encouraging him to go on, "I loved you as a friend, back then ... and, well, hopefully I can learn to love you again."

Ronaldo seemed to take interest in Lars' advice, and his eyes glittered with focus.

Lars continued, "Sure, you can do some pretty bad stuff to the people you love, and it seems like they won't ever love you again. But that's not always true: deep down, part of them will always love you. So don't feel too bad if you've screwed up, Ronaldo: I've made lots of mistakes, and Sadie and I have fought in the past! But look at us now! Yes, even nice people like Sadie can even love jerks like me."

"Lars..." Ronaldo said, picking himself up from the balcony, "...Thanks."

"Eh, it was nothing," Lars replied, returning to his 'cool' exterior. Sadie chuckled, playfully nudging him.

The three teens stood there for a while, turning their attention to the sky. The sun had set and night was taking over. The chilly air whipped their hair,

"You know," Ronaldo said, "It feels better being outside."

"Sure does," Lars replied.

"Where the love is..."

"Yeah, Ronaldo," Sadie patted his back, "Where the love is."

"Where anyone can find it..." Lars told no one in particular.

"...Even jerks like you?" Ronaldo teased.

Lars grimaced, but it soon changed to a smirk. "Yeah."

The three teens giggled at that, and stayed at the balcony a little longer before deciding to go home. It was going to get dark soon, and their closest friends and relatives were expecting them to return safe and sound. For home is where the love is, and it can even be a heart.


	6. Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven has had a hand in everyone's plans, but will he be able to pull of the perfect Valentine for Connie?

_"I can see that you will have a busy day ahead of you."_

Sapphire's words echoed around inside Steven's head as he made his way to the local mini-mart to get some milk, the pièce de résistance of his ultimate breakfast. Lucky for him, it wasn't too far away and he got to see what the dressed-up town looked like.

Steven had always liked decorations - his favourite Christmas pasttime was decorating the tree with his father, and he loved putting stickers all over his books. Here, there was something about the mass expressiveness of love, symbolised by the hearts adorning every street, that seemed to soothe him and make him feel warm inside, specifically the gem permanently adorned on his belly button - the one link he had to his mother.

He arrived at the mini-mart and begun his search for the perfect carton of milk. While he was doing this, Steven's thoughts turned to all his friends, and their plans for celebrating the occasion. Ruby and Sapphire were clearly in the spirit; Steven knew Sadie liked it too, and therefore Lars would _have_ to show interest; Sour Cream and Buck were dating so maybe they would spend some time together; Amethyst liked the Valentine's chocolates so she might have a plan to get some; his dad didn't have anyone to celebrate with anymore (which upset Steven a little, maybe he could go say hi?); Connie...

"Aha! There you are!" Steven interrupted his thoughts, as he grabbed his favourite brand of milk (it has a cute little cow on it!), and made his way to the checkout. Now where was he...?

Right, Connie's plans. Well, as far as Steven knew, Connie had no plans for Valentine's Day. Her parents didn't seem like the romantic type, so maybe the Maheswaran family were just treating today like any other day.

Steven payed for his milk and was on his way home when he was struck by a brilliant idea: he could celebrate Valentine's Day with Connie! He wasn't doing anything, she _probably_ wasn't either; and besides, they were best friends! Best friends loved each other, and today was the perfect day to celebrate their friendship. Steven quickened his pace, wading his way through the sand to his home.

* * *

 

"This is Dr. Maheswaran speaking. Who might this be?"

"Hey, Dr. Maheswaran! This is Steven - Steven Universe? Is Connie around?"

Having just finished his ultimate breakfast (which was totally worth the wait!), Steven was currently lying down on his bed on the phone. Pearl had emerged from her room, and had decided now was a good time to begin some housework: currently she was cleaning the kitchen with a cloth, humming quietly to herself as she went - and maybe eavesdropping on Steven's conversation, just a little.

"She'll be here shortly, Steven." Steven could faintly hear her calling her daughter's name.

Eventually Connie came to the phone and said, "Hi, Steven! What's up?"

"Oh, not much. I tried the new Cookie Cat cereal today though, it was awesome!"

"Really? That's good to hear: maybe I'll try some next time we have a sleepover then!" Connie was learning to try foods that her parents may disagree with, but to her they were 'necessary for becoming a kid.' Steven's house provided said opportunity while avoiding the judgemental gaze of the Maheswaran adults.

"Speaking of which, are you free today?"

"On Valentine's Day? Hold on..." The next minute or so was nothing but a muffled discussion of Connie and presumably one (or both) of her parents.

"Connie?" Steven asked, "You still there?"

"Yeah, my parents are going over to a friends for tennis and they want me to come with..."

"Oh, bummer..." Steven sank into his blanket.

"...but, they are going to the Crab Shack for dinner tonight, and agreed to drop me off in Beach City for a sleepover with you tonight!"

"That's great!" Steven rose to a sitting position, pumping a fist in the air.

"I probably won't be there until later. Like, after sunset, later. You'll be fine without me for now, right?"

"Of course!"

"Great! This'll be the best Valentine's ever! See you then, Steven!"

"Bye, Connie!" And with that goodbye Steven ended the call.

Steven headed down the stairs. Pearl approached, "Was that Connie, Steven?"

Steven nodded, "Yeah! She'll be coming over for a sleepover tonight!"

"Oh, that's wonderful, Steven." Despite her need for schedule and organization Pearl didn't mind that Steven planned stuff with Connie at the last minute. His time with his friends wasn't really her business.

What did surprise her was Steven promptly exiting the house from the front door. "Where are you going, Steven?" she asked, a little concern in her voice.

"It's Valentine's Day, Pearl!" Steven announced, to which Pearl felt a mental twitch, "And I've been neglecting this holiday for too long: so today I want to celebrate it with Connie since she's my best friend!"

"Oh, Steven..."

Steven sensed a sadness from her. "Aw, it's OK, Pearl! You, Garnet and Amethyst are my best friends too!" he said, putting up three fingers, "And so is my dad, and Sadie, and Lars, and Ruby, and Sapphire-" he continued, adding a finger for every name on his mental list.

"It's alright, Steven. Just try not to overexert yourself," Pearl interrupted, returning to the kitchen to continue her chores, "And if you ever need me, I'll be here all day."

"Oh, um, OK!" Steven exited, "See ya, Pearl!" And he was gone.

Pearl stopped her cleaning for a brief instant to turn towards the now closed front door. She resumed, but this time in silence.

* * *

 

At about quarter to 10, Steven headed out to Beach City again. How exactly was he going to spend Valentine's Day with Connie? Was it Connie's first Valentine's Day too? Did she even celebrate it - and if she did would she celebrate with him? These questions bugged Steven to no end. Sapphire had said, he recalled, that people spent time together and gave them gifts - since he and Connie were already going to do the former, maybe he should get Connie a gift? Ruby and Sapphire were doing that-

Speaking of those two, Steven spotted one of them on the boardwalk. Ruby was engaged in what appeared to be a deep sleep, right next to the T-shirt shop. Maybe she would have some good advice.

Steven made a beeline towards her, until someone called, "Steven!"

He turned quickly to the direction of the voice: standing in the doorway of Fish Stew Pizza was Jenny Pizza herself. "Steven, I could really use your help with something," she asked, "Do you mind?"

Steven took a quick glance at Ruby: he didn't want to interrupt her sleep, even if she didn't really need it. "Sure, anything to help!"

"Thanks, Steven - you're a lifesaver!" Jenny beamed, letting Steven in before closing the door behind her.

* * *

 

Stars flashed in Steven's eyes as Jenny unveiled Fish Stew Pizza's secret weapon - a heart shaped pizza coated in cheese. " _It's beautiful~_ " he cooed.

"Glad you think so!" Jenny replied, grabbing a bowl full of cut pepperoni pieces. She also handed Steven a rough drawing of what the pizza should look like: the pepperoni was to be arranged to spell 'Sour Cream + Buck' on it.

They began their work, arranging the pepperoni according to plan. "So this is for Sour Cream and Buck to enjoy, right?"

"Yep, it was all Sour Cream's idea. Apparently he went up to Dead Man's Mouth in the middle of the night and moved _all_ the magic moss there to that hill you and Lars took us to, when we first met. He told me he wanted to surprise Buck with a romantic picnic lunch there today, with this as the lunch!"

"No way!"

Jenny smirked, "Yeah way."

The pizza was all ready by that point so Jenny placed it in the oven to cook. "Sour Cream will be coming through the back to pick up the pizza soon and I don't want Buck to be suspicious. He shouldn't be too far away: could you sit at that table over there and distract him for me?"

"No problem," Steven gave her a thumbs-up and took a seat. She returned it and sat behind the counter, obviously bored with being at work.

This would be a good time to do some thinking too, Steven thought. What Sour Cream was doing was incredible: it was more than a generic gift, it really showed his devotion to his boyfriend.

He wondered what Buck thought about it, and when Buck had eventually arrived and settled himself down at Steven's table, Steven couldn't help but ask. " _Sooo_ , what do you think the surprise is?"

"Sour Cream did say that he stayed up all night working on it," Jenny said before giving Steven a glance - she didn't want him to spoil the surprise.

Buck tried to hide his bashfulness unsuccessfully. "I'm not sure - maybe he wrote me a song or something? It'll be pretty sweet, and it would go well with this."

"Show me, show me, show me!" Steven chanted. Luckily Buck had drawn his attention all on him, for Jenny had disappeared when she had heard a knock on the back door - probably Sour Cream is here to pick up the pizza, Steven thought.

Clearly the intense feelings between them was mutual, as Buck showed Steven the cassette player he had gotten for his boyfriend. Again, much thought and love had gone into it. Steven felt his present to Connie should really match that devotion.

Sour Cream then arrived eventually. Just before he left with Buck he ruffled Steven's hair playfully and whispered, "Thanks for looking after him for me, kiddo." Steven appreciated the comment - he was glad to play a small part in making their day all the more beautiful.

But how could he make Connie's day just as vibrant? Even when Jenny had given him a slice from the boys' test pizza to try (it was delicious), Steven's worries continued to linger in his mind.

* * *

 

"Alright, Steven" he told himself as he left Fish Stew Pizza, "You have to find the best gift for Connie - better than anything she has gotten before. Do you think you can do it?"

Inhaling air through his nostrils, he puffed up his chest and replied, "Yes."

"Good. Your mission starts now!"

"Alllllllllllllllllllllllrrrrrrr-Oh, wait, Ruby!"

Ruby was still where Steven left her, snoozing away. It was ironic that someone so active was still in the same place, even after an hour or so had passed.

OK, you can go talk to Ruby, Steven thought, but after that you have to find Connie a present!

Steven nodded, and approached Ruby. He nudged her on the shoulder gently, saying her name. She awoke immediately, muttering confusedly.

Steven tried to assure her bewilderment. "I saw you here all huddled up. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Ruby turned her head, and her face froze when she looked at the clock on the wall behind her - 10:42 pm, Steven noted.

"Oh no!" she cried, before rushing into the T-shirt shop next to her.

"Ruby!" Steven called, following her into the store. It was packed with customers - perhaps Ruby was waiting outside from the crowd to clear. Did she need help choosing a present? Well, Steven was at her service!

Lucky for him, she wasn't hard to find: she was sitting on the side of a nearby shirt box, her hands cradling her face. "Need some help?" Steven asked, while lifting himself onto the box so he could sit next to her.

Ruby removed her hands from her eyes. "Yeah," she told him sadly, staring down at the floor in defeat.

"You won't find much interesting in here," Steven pointed behind him into the box, "but the shirts on the wall are way cooler! A little more expensive though, but definitely the cream of the crop."

He gestured to the walls, and Ruby's eyes followed suit. Steven watched her scan them with an intense concentration. Her eyes stopped for a moment, before suddenly...

"Yes!" Ruby fist-pumped the air, "Steven, check that one out!"

He looked at where she was pointing: to a lovely black shirt, decorated with a stream of red and blue hearts, represented in low poly triangles. "That's awesome, Ruby! I bet Sapphire will love it!"

"You bet!" Ruby grinned as she rushed towards the segment of the wall where her gift was suspended from, "Thanks!"

Steven hopped on the box side and stood beside Ruby. "I'm glad I was able to help. Do you need me to call someone over?"

Ruby made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Nah nah, I can take care to it. You should go on your way, Steven - I'm sure you've got plans."

"Well, OK then. I'll see you later, Ruby!" Steven waved goodbye as he exited the store.

* * *

 

"Arrgh, not again!" Steven facepalmed, "I shouldn't be getting so distracted! I need to buckle up and find a present for Connie!"

Walking along Thayer Street towards the car wash, Steven tried to find some sort of inspiration but was unsuccessful. What would Connie like? Well, she likes reading ... but what if I get her a book she's already read? Or maybe some jewellery ... or Connie would find such a gift superficial. Ngghh, thinking was hard!

_"_ _♫_ _What can I do, for you?_ _♫_ _"_

_"_ _♫_ _What can I do, that no one else can do?_ _♫_ _"_

Upon hearing this song, Steven had a brilliant idea! His dad would know what to do - after all he's bound to have had experience with Valentine's Day before!

"Hey, Dad!" He called, running towards his father, who was sitting on a deckchair while strumming his guitar.

Greg gasped and turned to Steven. "Oh, it's only you, shtoo-ball. What brings you here? Don't you have any _plans_ today?" Greg gave him a cheeky wink.

"I'm trying to find a Valentine's Day gift - Buck told me that 'it's the thought that counts', but right now no useful thoughts are coming to me! Do you have any advice, Dad?"

Greg smiled warmly. "Buck is right, Steven. Try thinking about what this person likes, and maybe you might be able to find something that links with their interests."

Steven beamed. "Dad, that's great advice! I knew going to you was a great idea: you must be a pro since you had Mom to celebrate Valentine's Day with!"

Greg cringed. "Yeah," he replied defeatedly, "Your mother loved holidays - Easter, Halloween, Christmas - but Valentine's Day was always her favourite holiday of the year."

He sighed and stared at the sky. "Sometimes I can't help but miss her."

Steven's smile dropped as he looked at Greg. Steven never liked seeing his friends upset, least of all his own dad. "...Is, there any way I can help?" he asked timidly.

"It's OK, Steven," Greg gave him a weary smile, "Don't let your old man spoil your day. Go find yourself that perfect present!" He tried to gesture enthusiastically, but it came out half-heartedly.

It did little to cheer Steven up fully, but it did get him thinking. Who knows a lot about Mom? Garnet...? Amethyst...? Then suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head! The answer was so obvious! "Dad, I might not be able to help you, but I _do_ know someone who can!"

"Really? Who?"

Steven spread his arms out wide at his amazing revelation. "Pearl!"

Greg looked at Steven confusedly, but Steven proceeded to explain, "Pearl knows a lot of things, especially about Mom! And I know that she misses Mom just as much as you do. If there's anyone you can talk to about Mom, it's her."

It seemed to be a good idea to Greg. "Yeah, you're right, little buddy," he gave Steven an affectionate noogie, "I guess I should pay Pearl a visit." Greg stood up and started to make his way to the beach, giving Steven a thankful goodbye.

Watching Greg go, Steven stood with fists on his hips, happy to solve a problem. He then headed to town, whistling on his way. His father's absent staring into the sky had given Steven an idea, and his mind drifted back to a memory he and Connie had shared together a while back...

* * *

 

_It had been a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Connie had come over for the day. She and Steven were lounging around the Temple with seemingly nothing to do: the sun was ruthlessly hot and the other Crystal Gems were out on a mission, apparently with a lead on Peridot's whereabouts. Right now the kids were throwing ideas at each other._

_"Lion could take us somewhere," Steven suggested, as he lay belly up on his bed, "Maybe he could take to, I don't know, the moon?"_

_"It sounds fun, but I don't have an astronaut suit with me," Connie replied - she was sitting on the floor next to the bed, "You wouldn't happen to have one lying around, would you?"_

_"I doubt it," Steven said sadly. "Besides, I don't even know if he can travel that far anyway." The atmosphere fell into silence._

_Suddenly Connie sprung up! "Wait, of course! How could I forget!" She rushed downstairs to get her bag._

_"Connie, what are you doing?" Steven asked as he followed her._

_Rummaging through her bag, Connie retrieved what she was looking for: a folded up piece of bright material. She meticulously went about unfolding it, and when fully complete Steven could only stare._

_"So ... what is it?" He stared at the thing, which looked like some sort of paper plane made of fabric._

_"Oh, you don't know?" Connie picked it up off the floor, "It's a kite, Steven. Come on, I'll show you what to do!"_

_The two friends ran outside gleefully. Connie positioned the kite on the ground behind her._

_"Watch this, Steven!" she said as she began with a jog, quickening her pace as she went. Pretty soon the kite took to the air behind her - Steven admired the way it danced in the wind, its streamers tagging along behind it._

_Connie began to slow down and soon the kite lost altitude, gliding gracefully towards the ground once more._

_"That, was, AMAZING!" Steven cheered._

_"Here, why don't you try?" Connie replied, offering him the string._

_"Woohoo!" Steven began with a sprint straight away. The kite bounced off the sand like a stone skimming across water, but eventually it took to the air._

_"Wooooooo! Connie! I'm doing it!" Steven turned his head upwards to watch the dancing kite._

_"That's great, Steven!" Connie called, chasing after him. Then she realized something and gasped, "Steven! Watch out!"_

_"Wooo- Huh? Aaah!" Steven didn't notice until too late that he was heading straight towards a large rock! He tried to stop himself but collided straight into it. The kite catapulted past, impaling itself on an sharper rock a fair distance from Steven._

_Connie pulled Steven off the rock face and inspected him from injury. "Are you alright, Steven?!" she cried, cradling him in her arms._

_Steven opened his eyes: he was a little fazed but was completely unhurt. "Yeah, I'm- Ah! Oh no!"_

_He got up and sprinted to the fallen kite. Picking it up, he could see it had a nasty big hole right in the middle of it - the framework was bent out of shape too. "Connie," he sobbed to his approaching friend, "I'm so sorry, I broke it!"_

_Connie smiled gently and patted his back. "Oh, it's alright, Steven; what's important is that you're OK. That kite was a bit old anyway and I haven't used it for years."_

_She helped him up and walked with him back to the Temple. "Come on, let's watch some TV; I hear there's a marathon of Under the Knife airing soon!"_

* * *

 

"I'll make it up to her!" Steven told himself as he sprinted towards town, "I'll get Connie a new kite!"

Beach City's Main Street was filled with lots of stores of a large variety. Steven passed shop after shop, cafe after cafe, until he found what he was looking for: Beach City's toy shop. If there was a place to find a kite, it was here!

He entered the brightly coloured store and found the interior just as decorative as the exterior. Stuffed animals lined the shelves, remote control helicopters flew overhead and a model train set was set out on a table for public display. He walked towards the back and found a selection of kites lined on the wall, shouting their presence with gaudy colours.

One of the kites looked similar to the one Connie had shown him, except this one was an ocean blue instead of a buttercup yellow. Shaped like a hang-glider, it looked like it could swiftly cut through the air like a blade. It seemed fitting, Steven thought, so he made his purchase and rushed straight back to the Temple.

Relief swept over him like the clouds parting after a storm: Connie was going to get a present, and they were going to have so much fun with it when she came over this evening. Yup, even better than last t-

Steven didn't realize it until too late that he had tripped up on the sidewalk; how ironic. He lifted himself up off the ground. Where had the kite gone? he wondered. Then he looked where he had fallen and gasped. The kite's mangled body lay before him.

"Oh no!" he sobbed, scooping its corpse from the ground. Not again, _not again_! Does he have a unconscious hatred of kites or something?

Suddenly an idea came to him. What had Pearl said this morning? _"And if you ever need me, I'll be here all day."_

That was it! Pearl had built some cool stuff before: surely she could fix it! And wasn't Dad going to visit her too? Even better!

"Don't worry Connie!" Steven fought back tears as he sprinted madly for the Temple, "You'll get a present, I'll make sure of it!"

* * *

 

"Pearl! D-Dad!" Steven cried, rushing into the living room and planting the busted kite on the coffee table, "Something _awful_ has happened!"

Greg and Pearl, both sitting on the couch, were startled by Steven's sudden appearance. "What's wrong?" they both said in synch.

"Iwenttothetoystoretogetakiteforconniebecausewewereplayingwithakiteshehadonetimeandibrokeitandfeltreallybadbutconniesaiditwasalrightbutistillfeelterribleand-"

"Woah, woah, Steven," Greg scooped up and placed his son on the couch next to him, "Try to calm down, and we can sort this out together."

So Steven relayed the story to Greg and Pearl, both of them listening intently. "So I was wondering, could you guys help me fix it?"

"Steven," Pearl spoke gently, putting her hand on Steven's knee, "Of course we'll help! You needn't to ask! So, what _is_ this, kite, thing?"

"You run along carrying its string and it's supposed to fly behind you," Steven explained. Greg nodded, as if Pearl needed a second statement to show Steven's credibility.

"Fly? Why, Steven, you've come to the right Gem! I'll have that kite up and running in no time! Just let me get my tools!" And so, Pearl rushed happily into her room in the Temple, her eyes sparkling.

Greg just blinked. "Should we tell her a kite isn't like a plane?"

Steven just shrugged.

* * *

 

Pearl came back armed with a variety of tools: blueprint paper, duct tape, lots of rulers and pencils, stuff you _clearly_ needed for a simple repair job. She piled it neatly onto the floor next to her, then oddly enough she didn't use it straight away. "So, how _do_ you fix this?" she asked.

The question clearly stumped all three of them, and they sat around the table, just staring at the wreckage for several minutes. A few minutes later, the Temple door opened. "Hey, guys!" a voice called - it belonged to Amethyst, who had made herself comfortable next to Pearl. Peridot was there too, lying in the middle of the room for some reason.  "What are you up to? Making some nerd stuff?" Amethyst asked.

Pearl listlessly looked at her, "Oh, hello Amethyst. We're trying to fix this for Steven. It's a ... what is it again?" She looked at the others, hoping they would finish her sentence.

"It's a kite," Steven added glumly. Greg patted his back reassuringly. "It was supposed to be a Valentine's Day gift."

At this point Peridot had picked herself off the floor and was wiping the dust off of her. "What is this, so called, _Valentine's Day_?" she asked to no one in particular.

The others looked up, as if having a revelation - of course Peridot wouldn't know! Steven couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu - he remembered the conversation with Sapphire this morning. Amethyst filled her in on the details.

"Are we friends, Amethyst?" Peridot asked.

"Well, yeah!" Amethyst gave her a grin, "We're cool, right?"

Peridot couldn't help but feel her lips flicker upward. "Does this mean, we love each other, right?"

Steven gasped from across the room, his eyes glittering like stars. It was like a spark ignited in him, re-establishing his cheerful spirit. "D'awwwwwwwwwwww!!" he sighed, recovering from his previous mood. "You two would make a great Valentine's Day couple!"

"W-W- _WHAT?_ " Amethyst replied, incredibly flustered. "I-I don't do that kind of stuff, Steven, you know that. I'm not a _lovey-dovey kissy-wissy_ type!" She batted her eyelashes in doll-like fashion, making disgusting air kisses to further prove her point.

"Well," Peridot interjected awkwardly, "I'm intrigued."

Greg, Pearl and Amethyst could only stare - Peridot interested in Valentine's Day? The very idea baffled them to no end. Steven, on the other hand, was overjoyed. "That's great, Peridot! Why don't you and Amethyst go out and have some fun together! You could try out the new roller-coaster at Funland!" Steven was referring to the Roller Blitz Comet, which apparently was _eons_ better than the Appalachian, the only other roller-coaster at the amusement park.

"Whoa, whoa wh-" Amethyst was about to protest, but for some reason she reconsidered, "Well, I did always want to try that ride (with a name like that, who could refuse!), and P can hold down the fort on her own," she gestured at Pearl, who blushed, "And I am craving for some chocolate..."

"Well, good!" Peridot grabbed Amethyst's palm, "Because you're going to be my informed associate, as you help me partake in this fascinating human ritual!" And with that, she dragged Amethyst out the door and away. The others shrugged and resumed their investigation on the wrecked kite.

"So," Greg said to no one in particular, "Is she always like this...?"

"Pretty much," Steven replied, once again his happy self. The day wasn't over, and he could still fix this for Connie!

* * *

 

"OK, Steven!" Pearl called, "Model 38 is ready to be tested!"

"Alright!" Steven replied from the beach, racing towards the house to collect the kite.

It had been a while since Amethyst and Peridot had left, and repairs for the kite were well underway. Greg had left by that point: he had insisted on staying so he could support his son, but had also felt he was in the way - Steven had told him that he wouldn't mind if he left. Feeling reassured, Greg let the two of them be and had decided to return to the car wash.

Steven himself was feeling a little tired at this point. The other 37 models he had tested had all ended in failure, and he doubted this one would work either. But Pearl's enthusiasm and eagerness to help had convinced him to keep quiet for the time being. Connie wasn't due to arrive in a few hours anyway so there was plenty of time.

Steven took the remade kite from Pearl and walked back down to the beach. He hadn't the heart to tell Pearl that kites didn't have metal wings like planes did, nor did duct tape fix _everything_ (Greg had introduced her to the stuff a while back and she was enamoured with its many uses). Still, he appreciated the effort.

He got into position - he knew the drill by this point. He started slowly, as Connie had, and eventually picked up his pace. The kite skirted along the sand, took to the air ... and immediately nosedived into the ground. It was just too heavy.

"Oh, dear," Pearl had watched from the balcony and ran down to the beach to help Steven retrieve the half-buried kite, "If only there was more lightweight material around that I could use ... Maybe there's some at the barn! I'll just make a trip there, and hopefully I can construct a new kite from that scrap. Yes, Steven, you should have a new, fully-improved kite by midnight!"

"Midnight?!" Steven gasped, "Connie will be here by then!"

"I see ... it's a shame we don't have a warp pad there, that would be really useful ... especially in the long term..."

"No, Pearl, it's OK," Steven lowered his head defeatedly, "You don't have to worry about the kite."

"But Steven..." Pearl stammered.

"It's OK!" Steven looked up at her and tried to grin, "I'll just - find something else! Yeah! Something Connie will like even more!"

"Well, OK ... if that's what you want to do ... I'll be in the Temple if you need me, Steven." And so Pearl carried the kite back to the house. Steven watched her go, and when she entered the house he walked back to Beach City.

* * *

 

Steven had found sitting on a bench in the all-familiar boardwalk. He was back to square one - he didn't have any ideas! The kite seemed a little redundant now and he didn't want to test the fates. What else did Connie like?!

He sighed deeply. "I need a donut," he said glumly as he made his way to the Big Donut: food should make his brain work.

He entered the Big Donut to find Lars and Sadie in an intense discussion. "Hey, Lars!" he greeted, trying to mask his turmoil, "Hey, Sadie!"

"Steven..." Lars grumbled in response, crossing his arms.

"Hi, Steven," Sadie replied, a little wearily, "would you like the heart donut?"

"Wow!" Steven gasped, "It's like you can read my mind!" He could really use one right about now.

"Yep, I sure can," Sadie said, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She got one heart donut (surprisingly, they hadn't run out yet - they were well-stocked) with some tongs and put it in a paper bag before handing it to Steven.

"Thanks, Sadie! So ... what were you guys talking about earlier?"

Lars scoffed, "Oh, it was nothing, none of your bus-"

"Lars wanted to try the Roller Blitz Comet at Funland with me," Sadie interrupted, glaring at Lars, "But we can't because the Big Donut doesn't close yet."

Steven took this information in and pondered, "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Oh! I have an idea!" The magic of Valentine's Day and the eagerness to help his friends had not faded with his dampened mood.

Lars and Sadie eagerly listened as Steven said, "I'll take care of the Donut while you've gone! Sadie, you've already shown me the instruction video so you don't have to retrain me!" As if to demonstrate his point, Steven began humming the 'Do or Do Nut' song again, doing a little dance as he went.

Whispering ensued between Lars and Sadie - Steven couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Alright, Steven," Sadie said at last, "You got the job."

"Woo-hoo!" Steven jogged behind the counter, his arms ascended in victory. "I won't let you down, I promise!" Sadie handed him a employee shirt and then made her way to Lars.

"Be sure to close when it gets dark," she advised, "And thanks, Steven. It means a lot to us."

Lars let out a grunt, and in answer Sadie elbowed him in the side. "Yeah, ditto," he said. And with that, the two exited out the back.

"You two play nice now!" Steven teased, batting his eyelids.

"Steven!" Lars snorted, but Sadie just giggled. "We will!" she waved, and dragged Lars out the door. The Big Donut was in the hands of the Universe now.

Steven waved goodbye as the two of them left. It was only when they were out of sight when Steven realised what he had done.

"Oh no!!" he gasped, "Connie!!!!!" Every part of him wanted to leave the Big Donut to fend for itself, but if he did so he would break the promise he made. It was his responsibility to look after the Donut until dark, and that was when Connie arrived; there would be no time to get a Valentine's Day gift for her.

"Connie..." Steven's arm outstretched towards the door in agony. He facepalmed the counter - now trapped in a prison, a prison that sold donuts.

* * *

 

A while later, Pearl was pacing around the living room. For some reason (call it a mother's instinct, if that was the correct human phrase) she felt an immense worry for Steven. The boy she had parted ways with only moments before was not the Steven she knew and loved. He was probably out and about finding a gift for Connie - yes, perhaps he had already found another one by now; you're overreacting, Pearl, Steven will be fine. But somehow she knew he wasn't.

The door opened and Pearl's head darted to it. Unfortunately it wasn't a happy Steven, readily prepared with a replacement gift: it was only Amethyst and Peridot, back from their little adventure.

"Ah, Amethyst," Pearl approached her, "Have you seen Steven?"

"Nah P, how come? Has he gone missing?" Amethyst's face showed a little concern; even Peridot gave Pearl a curious look.

"No, he left a little while ago. We couldn't fix his, kite, _thing_ , so he went out to find a new gift. He seemed very upset though..."

"Relax, Pearl," Amethyst sat on the couch, Peridot following suit. "This is Steven we're talking about, he'll bounce back!"

"I'm - going to go check up on him, just to be safe," Pearl advanced to the door hesitantly, "Be sure to tell Garnet if she gets back before me."

Amethyst gave her a thumbs-up. "No prob, the G-squad shall be informed."

"Thank you, Amethyst," Pearl blushed, grateful for her understanding and co-operation.

* * *

 

"Hmmm ... now where would Steven be?"

Pearl stood on the boardwalk pondering to herself. Steven could be just about anywhere in Beach City! Perhaps the best course of action was to quickly investigate each likely outcome.

She decided a quick sweep of the town would be best. The Big Donut was the closest location, so Pearl thought she would begin her search there. Besides, there were two humans that worked there: the boy was a bit sour but the girl (Sadie, was it?) was nice enough, and she may have some valuable information of Steven's whereabouts.

Lucky for Pearl, her search would be quicker than she thought: Steven stood behind the register, serving a customer. The customer left through the glass door, and Pearl squeezed through while it was still open.

"Pearl?" Steven was surprised to see her.

"Steven," she asked, "Are you feeling alright? And why are you working here? Shouldn't that responsibility belong to the proprietors of this establishment?"

Steven scratched his back, looking a little guilty. "Well, I just wanted to help Lars and Sadie ... that's all..."

"Oh, Steven..." Pearl smiled gently - sometimes he was so much like his mother. "Did you get Connie's present alright?"

Steven froze at those words. "Steven? Are you alright?" Pearl asked, visibly worried.

"...N-No _ooo_ oo..." Steven sniffed, tears threatening to emerge, "I- _I_ won't be able to _g_ - _g_ -get one in *sniff* _time_..."

Pearl's hand was clasped over her mouth in shock. "No, no, don't worry Steven! I'll help!"

"No!" Steven slammed a fist on the counter. "That's not the point. _I_ was supposed to get it for her..." At this point he began to cry.

Pearl couldn't bear to see him so upset: she had to do something! "Steven, _Steven_ ," she soothed, stroking his hair delicately, "Don't worry about a thing and stay right here!"

By this point Steven wasn't listening, so she rushed out the door after that. She was panicking - who could help Steven in this crisis?

Strangely enough, the first person she thought of was Greg.

The man in question was still at his car wash business, even though it was closed for the day. Sadie and Jenny were there too, so the three of them were just chatting away.

"Greg! GREG!" Pearl shouted, striding towards It's A Wash with graceful leaps.

Greg broke whatever conversation he was having and turned towards her. "Pearl? What's wrong?" Her worry was infectious.

"It's Steven!" Pearl answered. She didn't need to explain after that because she already had their full attention.

"Steven?" Sadie asked, "What's wrong with Steven?"

"Yeah, is there anything we can do? He's our friend!" Jenny added.

Pearl filled them in on the details, her audience listening intently.

"Alright," Greg said as Pearl finished, his demeanour becoming serious, "I have an idea, but we're going to need some help."

"I know where to get some!" Jenny ran off immediately, even though she had no clue what Greg's idea was.

"I'll go get Lars and Ronaldo!" Sadie similarly darted off in the opposite direction.

"Alright!" Greg called after them, "Meet back here once you've got 'em!"

Pearl had wisely chosen to stay behind, curious about this idea. "So ... what do you have in mind?" she leaned towards him, interested.

Greg whispered in her ear. "Gotcha," she nodded, "I'll go get the others." And she jumped high in the air, on her way back to the Temple.

A few minutes later, Pearl returned with Peridot, Amethyst and Garnet in tow. Sadie had successfully gotten both Ronaldo and Lars, and Buck and Sour Cream had been enlisted by Jenny. Greg invited them all into the car wash office in a conspirative manner, and once all eleven of them were in the discussion began.

* * *

 

The sun was laid down in its earthly bed and was fast asleep: now it was time for the moon to come out and play. A veil of misty clouds, standing out amongst the sea of stars, parted dramatically, and the other celestial body revealed itself: a full moon, glittering pure white like a giant spotlight. The phrase ' _when the cat's away, the mice will play_ ' surely applies here: and the moon's fun was only just beginning!

Steven, back in his regular clothes, locked up the Big Donut with the spare key Sadie had given him: note to self, he thought, give it back to her next time I see her. His mood had entirely deflated - the time was up, Connie would be here shortly, and she would have no present to arrive to.

He heard the sound of a car pulling up to a nearby sidewalk, the opening and closing of a car door, murmurs of goodbye, and the car driving off. Turning to the sound, he saw a familiar figure in the distance, running towards him. "Steven!" the figure called, and it was painfully obvious to see that it was indeed Connie Maheswaran, carrying a suitcase filled with overnight belongings with her.

Steven tried to put on his best smile. "Connie!" he replied with not totally mocked cheerfulness - truth be told, he was happy to see her.

"I'm so glad I could make it," Connie panted, tired from her sprint, "Shall we head over to the Temple?"

"Yes, let's," Steven agreed, helping Connie with her bag as they walked about the beach quietly. The moonlight was beautiful, shimmering across the ocean surface and bathing Beach City in a heavenly white glow.

The two friends arrived at the Temple only to find it empty, with the lights off. "Oh, where are the Gems?" Connie asked, turning on a light switch.

"You know, I'm not sure," Steven placed Connie's bag on his bedside. He was silently glad to see that Pearl had disposed of the kite somewhere. Her tools were all gone too.

"Maybe they got called to a last-minute mission?"

"Most likely."

"That's a shame - I would've liked to officially meet Peridot. And wouldn't it be cool if Pearl gave us some late night sword lessons? It is a beautiful night tonight, don't you agree Steven?"

"Oh, um, yeah," Steven hastily replied; he was busy thinking about his situation.

"Say, wanna sit on the beach with me?" Connie asked, grinning widely.

Steven took a while before answering with a shaky, "Sure."

They went back outside, Connie leading Steven down to the beach. She sat down not too far from the water, but far enough that the tide would not reach her. Steven sat beside her.

"You know, before you called me this morning, I never would've considered celebrating Valentine's Day. I just thought it was something that only certain types of people could celebrate, only those that were in love. I never considered the possibility that people like me, who weren't in a romantic relationship."

She turned to look fondly at Steven. "But thanks to your call, I realized that love shouldn't be limited to romantic love. Platonic love is just as important too. I believe that friends love each other very much; don't you, Steven?"

Steven nodded and smiled. Connie continued, "Glad you agree. Thanks for giving me this wonderful gift of friendship, Steven."

At the mention of the word 'gift', Steven couldn't help but cringe. Connie noticed, "Steven? What's wrong?"

"Well ... regarding gifts..."

"Steven, you can tell me what's wrong - I'm your friend. We can tell each other anything, right?" The worry on Connie's face was painfully obvious.

Steven mulled this over, then reluctantly said, "Well, the truth is..."

"Ah, Steven, Connie! Perfect timing!" A voice called from above.

Turning to the voice, they found Pearl descending daintily from the sky, like a falling flower petal. Her landing made no impact on the sand.

"Pearl? What are you doing here?" Connie asked.

"The surprise is ready, and all that's needed is you two!" Pearl lead the two friends back towards Beach City. She leaned close to Steven's ear and whispered, "All taken care of." She gave him a reassuring wink. Steven smiled back.

* * *

 

Pearl led Steven and Connie towards the plaza between Beach Citywalk Fries and Funland Arcade, where a strong light source emitted. As per a prior instruction, both the kids had their eyes closed, and Pearl was guiding them with her hands pressed gently on their backs. Eventually, she announced, "We've arrived!"

Both children opened their eyes. Connie gasped and pointed, "Steven, look!"

In the middle of the plaza sat a table shrouded by a scarlet red tablecloth, basking in the spotlights from the nearby streetlights. An elegant two-headed candelabra stood proudly on the table, and cutlery appropriate for two was already set up. Fairy lights and banners were hung around the plaza square.

Is this ... for us?, Steven thought. Before he could take any more information in, a group of people suddenly jumped out from the shadows and yelled, "Surprise!"

Steven couldn't believe his eyes - the group compromised of his dad, the other Crystal Gems (even Peridot!), Lars, Sadie, Ronaldo and the cool kids! All the people that Steven had helped today had come to repay the favour! And that was not all - looking around, Steven could see Peedee and Mr. Fryman grinning from ear to ear in Beach Citywalk Fries; Kiki and Nanefua stood near them; and Mr. Smiley was barking happy laughter from Funland Arcade. Jamie and Barb from the post office were there too; as was Vidalia, who was brought Onion along for the occasion. It seemed like almost everyone in Beach City had come to lend a hand!

Steven gratefully sat in one of the pretty wooden chairs provided, as did Connie. Pearl motherly placed a napkin on Steven's knees and chuckled, "I hope you will enjoy this lovely dinner; everyone here tonight helped make it a reality!"

"You've done some wonderful things for people here tonight, Steven," Garnet approached, still wearing Sapphire's T-shirt, "Your mother would be very proud of you."

"You guys are gonna LOVE this! I'm so jealous!" Amethyst couldn't contain her excitement.

A growl of agreement came from behind Steven, and he turned to see that Lion had showed up, out of the blue. He grinned.

"You've earned this, kiddo," Greg said, giving his son a noogie. "Alright everyone, let's get this dinner started!"

Everyone in the plaza cheered. Someone killed the spotlights, and the candelabra lit up as if by magic. The atmosphere was utterly romantic.

The entrée came almost immediately: a bowlful of intricately seasoned fries with a variety of top-quality dipping sauces, courtesy of Beach Citywalk Fries. Lars, Sadie and Ronaldo carried it over, expressing their gratitude to Steven before leaving. Obviously, it was delicious.

The cool kids brought the main course a while later: a deluxe grilled chicken and jalapeno pepper pizza with cheese-filled crust, topped with mushrooms, olives, goat cheese and BBQ sauce - specially made by Fish Stew Pizza. They similarly thanked Steven for being totally cool; he really made their day.

"You should totally hang out with us again sometime, Steven," Sour Cream offered.

"Yeah! And you can come too, Connie!" Jenny added.

"Well, sure! We'd like that," Connie replied, grateful for their offer.

"Sweet. Stay cool, you two," Buck gave them a thumbs-up. The three teens then left them to their meal.

Steven and Connie proceeded to dig in. Again, pure heaven for the taste buds.

"Steven, something's troubling you, right?" Connie asked during their meal. Everyone was having conversations amongst themselves at this point, so the two stars could talk privately as they dined.

Steven shrugged. "I can't help but feel like this is undeserved for me. Sure I helped everyone else find a gift, but I-I ... I couldn't find one for you. I'm sorry, Connie."

"What? Is that what's worried you? Steven, you've already given me a precious gift, one that is beyond compare: yourself."

"Huh?"

"Look around you, Steven," Connie gestured to everyone else around them, "You were there to help them in their hour of need, and you did it expecting nothing in return. You're a wonderful person, Steven, and every day I spent with you feels like a gift."

"Really?"

"Really."

And with that, Steven's fears seemed to vanish away. "Thanks Connie," he said, smiling for the first time since what seemed like forever.

* * *

 

The dessert was brought to the table by Greg: provided by the Big Donut was a platter of, you guessed it, donuts. Thoroughly enjoying it, Connie and Steven managed to finish their meal shortly after its arrival.

"Now _that_ was a delicious three-course meal," Steven said, content with a full stomach.

"Completely," Connie added, "Hey, what should we do now?"

A good point indeed. "Yeah, let's bust out some tunes!" Steven replied.

"Not to worry, you two," Garnet approached, taking off her shirt to reveal her standard bodysuit underneath, "It's all been taken care of. Pearl?"

Pearl, busy with something else, turned to their direction. "Ah, is it time? Amethyst, could you-"

"All taken care of, P," Amethyst replied, standing near Peridot.

"Taken care of what? What are you planning?" Peridot asked, confused.

She soon found out. Garnet and Pearl began to spin like ballerinas in the fifth position. Garnet stopped and placed a hand on top of Pearl's ascended hands while she continued to spin. Garnet lowered her other hand to Pearl's feet and, very carefully, lifted her off the ground. She held the still spinning Pearl high above their head. Pearl abruptly stopped, facing upwards to the sky, and lifted a leg high into the air. Their gems then began to glow.

"What the- Oh, so THAT'S what's going on! You're doing that right _here_ , in front of a human audience? isn't that a bit inapp-" Peridot could not continue her rant as Amethyst had already covered her mouth and tightened her grip.

Everyone in the plaza watched in awe as a pillar of light burst into the sky from where Garnet and Pearl were standing. "And now, here to provide the after-dinner entertainment..." a familiar voice announced.

"Who is that?" Connie asked Steven.

"Oh boy! You'll see!" Steven replied, giddy with anticipation.

"...coming to you live from Beach City, is the charming, the graceful, the lovely..." the pillars of light separated like curtains to reveal a giant figure and then burst into hundreds of dragonflies, "... _Saaaaaaaaaaaardonyx_!!!!"

The Beach City residents gave a roar of applause. "Wow, is this the fusion you've told me about, Steven? The really funny and theatrical one?" Connie could barely contain her excitement.

"Ah, so you've heard of me?" Sardonyx picked up Connie with one hand and Steven with another, her palms flat so the children could stand on them. "Allow me to formally introduce myself; Sardonyx, charmed to meet you!" she used another hand to shake hands with Connie, "You, young lady, must be the one and only Connie Maheswaran, am I not correct?"

"Wow, you did you know?" Connie gasped in surprise, starry-eyed.

"Oh ho ho ho! A magician never reveals her secrets," Sardonyx chuckled, "Now, citizens of the esteemed Beach City; bear witness to the wonders and mysteries of Gem magic, the likes of which you've never seen!"

The plaza thundered with more applause. Sardonyx placed Steven and Connie back safely on the ground, where Amethyst, Peridot and Lion were standing. She began at once: dancing elegantly as she conjured bursts of fireworks from her gems. The crowd cheered as she twirled around, the fireworks flowing behind her like ribbons. They laughed as she juggled several of them with her multiple hands.

What excited them most of all was the climax of the event: when Sardonyx had summoned her signature hammer, and was smashing the fireworks with it to create even more beautiful bursts of colour. It seemed to spark the romance in the air: Lars and Sadie kissed, and so did Buck and Sour Cream. Nanefua gave both her granddaughters quick pecks on the cheek. Vidalia was about to smother Onion with motherly kisses only to find he had run off somewhere. Ronaldo sighed a little, but Jenny was there to steal a kiss on the cheek, before grinning at him cheekily. He smiled back.

Peridot seemed to catch on. "Amethyst, as partners of Valentine's Day, we must perform this human ritual!"

Before she could reply Peridot had already tackled her to the ground. Amethyst tried to fight off the slew of kisses playfully. Connie and Steven giggled, before turning to look at each other.

Thank goodness my parents aren't here or they'd freak, Connie thought. Because at that moment she had her first kiss with Steven.

It was short and they withdrew quickly, blushing like mad. But then they started to laugh, and soon they were cackling like mad. Greg joined them and soon he was chortling too.

"Ah, the beauty of young love ... Is there anything quite like it?" Sardonyx swooned, "Well, that's all for tonight, folks! You've all been a great audience! And now I give you a spectacular farewell!" She sent one final group of fireworks hurtling straight into the air, exploding into a fantastic shower of colour, lasting for quite a while. It ended with a large pink firework that burst into a giant pink heart. A most excellent conclusion to a most excellent day, Sardonyx thought, as she disappeared in a pulse of dragonflies, leaving Garnet and Pearl in her place. The crowd cheered once more.

* * *

 

Onion had run off a while ago, just before Pearl and Garnet fused into Sardonyx. He was surprised to find the rest of the town practically deserted. Perfect.

He headed to his house and began digging in a patch of dirt. It must still be here, he thought. Lucky for him, it was: covered in soil from its earthly nap was the Frybo costume. Where he had gotten another one from seemed to be a complete mystery.

He shook it like a towel, which seemed to remove most of the dust and dirt. He was off again, his destination firmly in mind, dragging the costume behind him as he went.

Onion scuttled over to the lighthouse hill, the Frybo costume in tow. He found an appropriate vantage point and sat there, the costume beside him. He watched the town expectantly.

Suddenly Sardonyx's firework show came into full view. Onion watched intently. He barely blinked throughout the whole thing.

When the grand finale came, he turned to the Frybo costume fondly and hugged it without taking his eyes off the show before him.

Once done, he returned Frybo to his grave. He made his way back to the plaza and jumped into his mother's arms. Vidalia stared in him, curious of his sudden disappearance, but smiled at him. At least he was here again.

Onion returned the smile, and leaned his head on her shoulder, falling asleep.

The last thing he saw that night was the moon, sitting proudly in the blanket of space. He winked at it. And it seemed it winked back.


End file.
